Love's Test
by foreverprincess
Summary: About a year after Breaking Dawn, when a new member is added to the Cullen family, what will happen to Bella & Edward's love? Was it really meant to be forever? Find out where fate takes them and why Bella was always meant to be part of the vampire world.
1. Max

About a year after breaking dawn, when a new member is added to the Cullen family, Bella and Edward's love will not be the only one that is tested.

Chapter 1: Max

Bella's Point of View  
~~~~

I was perfectly content. My head was in Edward's lap and my feet were dangling off the couch. I smiled at Renesmee, over a year old now, she looked to be about four or five. Her beautiful hair was shinning thanks to Alice; she was giggling and watching a home video of herself from when she was just born thanks to Rosalie. Her laughter filled the air, and soon I couldn't help but smile down at her, and then up at my husband.

We had moved out of Forks, because it was getting to the point where people would get much too suspicious. Of course, we promised to visit Charlie and the others on holidays and birthdays. Jacob, obviously, came with us to this little home in the middle of nowhere. He missed his pack, but the pain he would have from being away from Renesmee would be much greater.

Carlisle was working at the little town's hospital. Edward and I were to attend the local high school, as seniors, in the fall along with Jasper Alice, and Jacob as a junior. Rose and Emmett were to go to the local college as a freshmen and sophomore, respectively.

Renesmee was still not growing at a normal rate, and we were worried how she would cope in school anyway, being so much smarter than the kids her age, or what appeared to be her age. Esme agreed to stay home and tutor her in anything that her fast little heart desired. We didn't plan to stay here too long, just in time for Jacob to get his GED and me to do a few years of college. Edward had wanted to take me to a big, fancy, Ivy League school, but I insisted that was unnecessary.

Alice came in and moved my feet so that she could sit next to her favorite sister. "Hey Bella, I know you're totally busy and whatnot," she laughed, "but I was wondering if you could talk to me about something…" her face grew serious.

"What is it, Alice?" Edward wanted to know, she was probably reciting a novel in Portuguese in her head to keep him out.  
"It's a girl thing Edward, my goodness. Bella could you put your shield up, and take a walk with me… your husband is too nosy for his own good," I nodded my head and reluctantly moved myself away from Edward.

"I'll miss you, love," Edward said as I slowly pulled myself off the couch.

"I'll miss you more!" I called as Alice dragged me out. I could hear Renesmee talking to Edward inside.

"Don't be sad Daddy!" I pictured Edward's distraught expression, "Mommy's never going far away without us," I smiled at my daughter's adorable face that was probably making Edward forget all about Alice kidnapping me from our moment of bliss.

"Is your shield up?" Alice asked.

I pulled the now more malleable shield around the two of us, and we jogged a few miles into the forest before sitting down by a quiet spring, with lavender and wild roses growing in every direction.

I looked at Alice questioningly. "What's up sis'?"

Her happy, perky face turned into an array of emotions, none of them near happy. "Bella, last night, Jasper and I were out hunting, when I… I…" I put my hand on her shoulder and urged her to continue.

"Well, Bella… you do love Edward more than anything…" Her voice almost seemed like it was asking a question, like she was only very slightly, but still attempting to question my love.  
"Are you asking me, or telling me?"

"Eherm…" she looked at my slightly upset face, _how could she question my love for Edward, now, or ever?_ "…a..asking,"

"ALICE… why!? You know how I feel, how completely irrevocable my feelings are!"

"Oh, right, I should have known my visions aren't---" she was cut short; at once I realized she was having another vision. She quickly snapped out of it. "Carlisle… Carlisle is … bringing another vampire home, his name is Max he wants… to join our family…"

Alice and I rushed home to inform the others of our visitor.

As soon as we were in the house I quickly scooped up Renesmee, Edward put his arm around me, and Jacob stood in front of us, protecting the light of his life. The door opened only a few seconds later.

Carlisle walked in, in front of Max. "Family, come, sit. We have a visitor."

Max came in and smiled, hugely. Alice was the first to greet him, "Hello Max, it's unnecessary to explain yourself, we know why you are here."

"Yes, please, feel welcome, sit down," Everyone sat down, and Esme continued, "Please, do tell us about yourself, for all of us without the power to know already," Esme looked meaningfully at Alice and Edward.

Before Max could begin, he looked around at all of us, smiling. He lingered a little longer on my face, this of course not going unnoticed by Edward. The arm around me tightened, and on my other side Jacob scooted closer to me, what with Renesmee being on my lap.

"I come in peace, no doubt. I also come in hopes of being a part of a family, an honor I do truly wish I could behold. My existence as a vampire has never been satisfying and complete… but rather… cold and meaningless. I wish for a purpose, a reason to be, and a sense of belonging, and my power brought me here, to this loving environment."

"What do you mean by that?" Emmett asked, impatient.

"My power, it brought me here. I have the ability to … _sense_ and test love and true bonds and ties of deep emotion. I can see the ones here are ever so strong, flawless, and" he paused, "nearly unbreakable. I wonder if it's because of the diet, or something else, some humane spirit that flows amongst you, and I ever so wish to surround myself in such a place, and to also be a part of such … love."

I noticed my husband's disgruntled expression. I whispered so only he could here, and maybe Renesmee and Jacob because of their proximity. _Honey, what's wrong, are his intentions not as pure as his words?_

He whispered, even softer, back to me: _I'm assuming his words are honest, but it just disturbs me that I cannot read his mind. He cannot be a mental shield, because I can see clearly in Alice's mind what will happen with him the next few days. He must just be…. hiding from me. _

_  
_ I nodded my head in agreement with him.I smiled at Max, _a new brother,_ I thought to myself, and smiled bigger. He had come to us, just like Alice had come to the Cullen's many years ago. I'm sure they would get along. His golden eyes proved to me that little training would be needed for him to fit perfectly at home with us. Max smiled back at me, probably noticing my creepy stare.

And the Cullen family grows by one more, I thought. So, I guess I wouldn't always be the newest addition. I liked this thought, I liked the thought that our family could grow. I liked Max, it's not every day someone has enough guts to do what he did today. I imagined him betting Emmett to a wrestling match, and I imagined him and Jasper having deep meaningful conversations, about emotions, and love and their emotional atmospheres. I imagined Max's power was more than what he had said. I remember his words 'test love and true bonds' and thought of the meaning behind that.

I hope that by that he only meant he would give us a few multiple choice tests to test our compatibility. Otherwise, I had a good feeling about Max.

thanks for reading 


	2. Secrets

Chapter 2: Secrets  
~~~~

_**Bella's Point of View**_

It was late in the summer and Max was finally moving in. The house where we were staying here was quite large. On the top floor were the two largest bedrooms, one with an adjoining medium sized room. Edward and I had the one with the adjoining room, obviously for Renesmee, and Carlisle and Esme had the one across the hall. On the second floor, there were three bedrooms, one for Rosalie and Emmett, one for Alice and Jasper, and another that Alice and Rose had converted into a massive closet. In the basement, there was a large bedroom that Jacob used. This left Rose and Alice to surrender their mega-closet for Max he said it was fine if they left some of their clothes in there but Alice new better and moved her excess clothes to the basement, near/around/in Jacob's room.

Max was a really nice guy. He smiled at Renesmee, he made jokes with Emmett, had a passion for cars like Rose, had a special sense of emotion like Jasper and even played the piano like Edward. It was early in the evening when he had finally gotten his few things situated. We all sat in the living room having light conversation, discussing school in the fall, and the special arrangements Carlisle had made for Max to go to school as well. He too would be a junior like Jacob, because he too had yet to finish any sort of high school education for the first time.

Renesmee was sitting on my lap, asking Max questions about his life, when she touched my cheek, and showed me she was quite hungry. I too knew my thirst was becoming too great for comfort, when I decided we should go on a hunt. Jacob was lightly snoring, and Edward was deep in conversation with Carlisle. I was almost out the back door before Max appeared in front of me.

"Are you off to hunt?" he asked.

"Yes, Renesmee doesn't hold her hunger well…" I laughed at Renesmee who stuck her tongue out at me.  
"May I join you, then? I haven't hunted in a while…" I noticed his almost completely golden eyes, but decided against mentioning it. Renesmee loved attention, and she knew Max would be amazed at how she hunted.

"Come with us, Max!" She smiled and reached over to him, as if for him to carry her. I let him. Although Renesmee was more than old enough to run on her own, her slow speed, and smaller legs would only slow us down, and nobody should try and slow down a thirsty vampire.

We came to a clearing, and he let Renesmee down. "Bella," the way he said my name made me smile back.

"Yes?"

"The bond you have with your daughter is so strong and beautiful, it's one that I have never seen in a vampire, and even when I see the bond in humans, never have I seen one so strong. All of the bonds I see amongst your family members are so different and stronger than I have seen before," he now looked cautiously at me, "there is one bond with your daughter that I urge you to pay attention to…" I was frightened at first, but then I figured what he meant.

"Do you mean Jacob?"

"Yes… how did you know? He seems to have a very … odd but quite powerful bond with your daughter that I don't seem to understand…"

I laughed, "It's hard to understand, it's a wolf thing… when Jacob first saw Renesmee.. he sort of discovered her to be… his soulmate…"

He looked at me oddly, as if I were suggesting a baby and a grown man should be in love.

Renesmee had quickly found a deer, and asked me if she should go for it, I urged her to.

"Oh, it's not like that Max… it's odd, but for now, he only cares to protect her, like a big brother." He nodded trying to understand, as the scent of a few deer blew past us, I ran in that direction. Max and I made it to the deer at the same moment and quickly pounced on our prey. I was proud of myself for becoming a much cleaner hunter. When we were done, I could hear Renesmee running towards us, ready to go home. Seconds before her arrival, Max sauntered over to me.

He came dangerously close to my face and said, "Bella…" the way he said my name would have made me blush. "you have a little something…" he rubbed my cheek with his finger and showed me the blood that had been on my face. Okay, so maybe I still had a few things to work on. However, my inability to hunt neatly was not the only thing on my mind but rather the look in Max's eyes as he touched my face and the feeling he left on my cheek…

Renesmee hurried by my side, and jumped into my embrace. I didn't look or speak to Max, I just ran straight home.

_**Edward's Point of View**_

I noticed Renesmee's hunger, and was about to get up with Bella, when Carlisle began to think of a conversation he had just had with Bella about her transformation… I began to question him about it, but he quickly denied ever thinking about it. Bella got up to leave, I wanted to ask her what exactly had happened during her transformation, when Carlisle began to think about it again. I questioned him further, he didn't budge.

Bella, Renesmee and Max had been gone briefly before I noticed their return. Bella didn't have her usual, perfectly content expression and I quickly looked to Max, his thoughts calm and pure as usual. I still felt like he was hiding something from me, however. Like those weren't his real thoughts, like there was something else. Everyone thinks of things that they shouldn't, everyone worries about things, and has deep desires that pop up in their mind every so often. Not with Max, he was different, and I wanted to know why my wife looked ever so slightly disturbed. I never wanted even the slightest discomfort to befall upon her, and if it was because of Max, he would surely pay.

The night was fast approaching and I knew tomorrow Alice was planning on taking Bella, Renesmee and Rosalie hostage for the day to get clothes for the first day of school and the cold fall here. Knowing the long day ahead for my daughter, I asked Bella with my eyes if she thought we should take Renesmee upstairs and call it a night.

We had taken to this silent communication as soon as Renesmee started to resist bedtime like a typical toddler.

Alice was just finishing showing Jacob how to French braid Renesmee's hair, without "destroying her beautiful hair" as Renesmee had put it the last time he offered to do her hair. The scene was quite something. Bella was sitting on the floor in front of Renesmee, holding her hand, convincing her that Jacob wouldn't hurt her, even though she was quite sure he would. Renesmee loved when people did her hair, and Jacob was sick of not being able to do that. Undoubtedly there was a loud squeak from Renesmee as soon as Jacob pulled a little too hard on her hair.

"OUCH! Jakey, you can't do my hair! Let my mommy do it, please," he eventually gave in and in his mind he swore that he would go buy a doll tomorrow so that he could practice for her. I smiled at how much he was willing to do for her, just like I was willing to do anything for my Bella…

Bella opened her mind to me, _we better get her upstairs quickly, tomorrow's going to be a long day and it's almost 11, if only Jacob could accept the fact that he can't do her hair…  
_

Before her bubble could surround her mind once more, I caught a glimpse of the end of Bella's hunt with Max. I had quite a few questions for Bella tonight…

~~~~  
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	3. Struggles

**Hey, thank you to those of you who told me to continue! I was just wondering if it was any good and worth continuing.  
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Chapter 3: Struggles

_**Edward's Point of View**_

I watched from the doorway, smiling, as Bella slowly put her daughter to bed. Renesmee, whining a little for having to sleep, was slowly losing her ground. Bella's quiet, beautiful voice humming a lullaby was enough to make Renesmee feel at peace. Bella continued to hum after her eyelids had fluttered shut and even when Renesmee's breathing had slowed to a slow, steady pace.

Bella turned to face me, a small smug smile on her lips. Her daughter was no match for her soft lullaby, and she was proud of it.

She was about to lean in to kiss me, when something made me stop her. I quickly remembered the image I had seen in her mind… of her and Max in a clearing… and him approaching her…

First, however there was another issue I wanted to talk to her about.

"Bella," I whispered to her, now in our own side of the room. "Carlisle, in his mind, did you tell him something about your transformation that you did not tell me?"

I saw her pause and sigh. "Edward, you know I always want you to be happy. At the time, I never saw the need to tell you the truth, I thought maybe you would be happier that way, without knowing what actually happened."

"Love, you have to tell me these things. I can't believe you kept something like this for me for so long!" I saw Bella look down, upset that I was upset with her. _Why didn't she tell me? If not at first, surely she could have found sometime to tell me, and then she tells Carlisle instead of me. _I was hurt.

"So, you really remember and felt everything?"

She still wasn't looking at me, "Yeah, everything, it was horrible. I told Carlisle because Alice was getting visions of Carlisle with another vampire, and I was hoping if he was going to change the vampire, he wouldn't waste his time doing what he did to me. Now I know it was just Max, who is clearly already changed."

"Why couldn't you tell me as well?"

"I didn't want you to be upset."

"Well, now I am. Congratulations."

If she was human, there would probably be tears in her eyes. I felt sorry, where had the attitude come from? Before I could apologize for being rude, she ran out of the room. About to run after her, I was stopped when the image of Max close to her face, running his finger across her cheek, slowly, stopped me. _What was happening between us? _I couldn't make myself move. I was too startled.

_Bella, my light, my love, my everything, was she slowly moving away from me, had she had it with me?_

This couldn't be happening.  
_**  
Bella's Point of View**_

The end of the lullaby came, and Renesmee was already fast asleep. I smiled warmly at her peaceful rest. If there is anything I miss from being human its sleep. After a long day, it is nice to know that you can come home to a comforting bed, and forget about your troubles from the day. The next day you can start anew. As a vampire, it is just one long day. I wondered briefly if Edward had seen in my mind what had happened in the meadow with Max. I was so confused about it, that I couldn't stop thinking about it.

Turning around, I saw Edward staring at me from the doorway, I was proud of how quickly I put Renesmee to sleep. I skipped over to him, and stretched up on my toes, about to kiss him, when he stopped me.

He hadn't done that in a while. Recently Edward had been acting so weird, I urged him to ask Max about why it seemed like Max was blocking part of his mind to him. Maybe Max was blocking his mind, maybe that was part of his power, but Edward should have just asked instead of becoming more and more worked up about it. I decided I would ask him tomorrow.

"Carlisle, in his mind, did you tell him something about your transformation that you did not tell me?" His voice sounded so accusing. 

So, Edward had finally figured out my transformation did not go as smoothly as he had thought. Obviously I had kept it from him, there were too many other things to worry about at the time, and I just had not found the right time to mention it to him. I did not think he should be so _angry with me. _He had not been upset with me in a long time. I only kept this secret to protect him… to keep him as blissful as I usually felt.

He continued to question me angrily, and I couldn't stand it.

"Well, now I am. Congratulations." What was his_ problem_? I did that for _him_.

In the end his sarcastic comment left me wanting to cry. _I just wanted him to be happy. _I thought maybe there was another reason he was upset, he had probably seen something run through my mind about Max. I was angry that he thought anything of that. Before he could say anything more, I ran out of there.

Max was downstairs sitting on the piano. His fingers were running over the keys, silently. He played no music, most likely only imagining the music in his head, like Edward often did before he played something. He was probably thinking of Renesmee who might be awoken by the noise, but I knew that it would only help her sleep. I didn't stay and chat, however, and I ran straight out the back door and out into the surrounding forest. I ran to the little spring that Alice had taken me to.

The night sky had no moon, only stars so there was little light and the dark water moved slowly on its winding path. Little lightning bugs swarmed through the air, lighting each other's path. The smell of the wild lavender and now, being late summer, wild honeysuckle filled the air with its sweet aroma. Besides the quiet sound of the water over the rocks, and the crickets calling to their mates, I heard someone fast approaching the spring. I guessed it was Edward, and was instantly frustrated. _Couldn't the man deal without me for five minutes?_

I needed some time alone. There was so much to think about, _why did Max's touch make me feel like that? Why was Edward getting upset so easily? Could it really be because of Max? Harmless, kind, brotherly Max? _

He sat down next to me, and patted my back. _Patted my back? Who was I? His little sister? _

_  
_I looked over at the man sitting next to me, my own anger growing, and when my eyes met his face I jumped ten feet in the air.

**Any questions? Anything confusing? Let me know, and I'll try to address it in the upcoming chapters.  
thanks for reading! **


	4. Conversations

**Hey! So, I've decided to take a little more time and make the chapters a little longer :D  
Hope you like it!  
**

Chapter 4: Conversations

_**Bella's point of view**_

Max laughed lightly at shocking me, _it wasn't easy to surprise a vampire_. I had totally believed it was Edward running after me, I was so sure I did not even smell the air to be sure. I was just sitting there, as silent and unmoving as a rock.

I just stared at Max, dumbfounded. I tilted my head, and looked at him funny. There was something funny about him, maybe it was his expression.

"May I ask why you ran out here in such a hurry?" He asked, as I sat down beside him.

"Sure, but first tell me why you look so…" I thought a second about his expression, "disturbed, but relieved?"

He laughed loudly, "I am so happy to be out of the house, I never thought of just coming out here at night, so I just endured the agony." I was, at first, a little offended and was going to ask him why in the world he was in such pain being at home, when I suddenly understood.

"Oh. Can you hear them? I think most of us are pretty quiet about it, and I thought that the rooms were pretty well sound proofed… Rose and Emmett are always the… noisiest," I grimaced slightly at how uncomfortable it must be at night for him. 

"Well, no, it's not so much that noise, you are all quite quiet, don't worry. The biggest problem is well my power allows me to see bonds between people when they are standing right in front of me, I know I've explained it before, but it's sort of like a bunch of multicolored strings running from each person, to each person around them. Some of them are strong, some weak, some so nonexistent you could break them with a touch of a finger. However, I can also see a place where there is a lot of love. The Cullen's always have a lot of this emotion surrounding their house. My point is though, at night… when," he paused, unsure how to go on.

I laughed, "when two people are together," I finished for him.

"Right," he smiled, exposing his pearly teeth, "when two people are together, the emotions around them explode into fireworks, bright lights and loud noises. It can be quite loud and that is with one couple. At home there are four couples so you can be sure that my ears are ready to explode by now."

"Oh, that _is_ awful," I said.

"Now, are you going to tell me why you ran out of there, I'm sure you weren't hearing loud blaring noises from every direction, now, were you?"

"Oh, well, no I wasn't. What a shame too because I've always liked the noise of a city."

"Trust me, it's like four cities with megaphones at your ear," he glanced meaningfully at me, or rather to the side of me, "you know, you don't have to tell me why you came out here, if its personal, or you don't feel comfortable, I'm fine sitting here and watching the lightening bugs."

Max's eyes were following something to the side of me, tracing it back to the house. I figured he was looking at my tie with Edward; I wonder what it looked like. _Shaking, scared, confused and above all angry. _That's how I felt towards him.

I wished deeply for a moment that I could see what I looked like through Max's eyes with my strings running out in all directions, maybe that would give me some idea of what was happening between me and Edward, why the reason for my existence was suddenly making me want to run to the other side of the earth.

I didn't realize that I was staring at Max as his eyes moved from tracing a line behind me, to ahead of us, looking at the running water. His dark brown hair, so dark it probably looked black to a human's eye, was messy and uncombed. He had big, golden eyes with long dark lashes surrounding them; his little nose looked sort of funny next to his huge eyes and full lips.

I heard the sound of a low, softened yelp behind me, and I snapped out of my stare. I pulled my eyes away from his face, and simply looked on at the water.

Max began to stare when a few minutes later he asked, "You look very upset," he sounded worried for me.

"I am, it's just- just—Edward. He has just been so weird lately, and I do not understand where it is coming from. He got angry with me for the first time for no good reason. He has also been worrying about the fact that he can't read all of your mind or something freaky like that." It felt good to talk to someone about this.

"Oh, I see, yes. I do not do this on purpose, you must believe me, I'm not trying to hide anything from all of you. I've been told before, by Aro, that he could only read the loving, caring part of my mind. I'm assuming the same is with your husband?"

"Yes, that is it." I smiled, opening my mind to Edward, _see, Edward, nothing to worry about_. I quickly shut my mind, making sure to think of nothing else.

I knew Edward was not going to leave me alone for that long.

_**Edward's Point of View**_

__The thoughts were attacking me like bees, nonstop, and stinging. In my mind I pictured my life without Bella. I pictured me moving into the basement with Jacob, or just moving out all together. The only reason I figured I couldn't actually move out was Renesmee, she was still little. I stopped the thoughts.

No, no, _no_. We could not be over; it could not be that simple. I still loved her and I'm not sure how her love for me could subside so easily. We were to be together for eternity, we had promised each other that much. This was the one promise I could not live with breaking. Maybe she just needed time to sort her thoughts, maybe she just wanted to be alone for a little while.

Sure, that was it. She needed sometime to be alone. I was always with her, by her side, holding her, kissing her, and loving her. Maybe she wanted to be on her own. I was different in that I couldn't stand being away from her for even these few minutes. I realized her absence was too much for comfort, and I quietly ran after her.

Taking extra caution to be sure I would not be heard, I moved very quietly through the forest, following her scent. I noticed there was another scent that came a little after Bella's. I smelled carefully.

_Max. _

__

I felt the anger rising within me. Why would he come out here with _my_ wife? She had wanted to be alone.

At first I had thought Max and I could be friends. Now, I laugh at that idea.

About a quarter mile away from the spring, I crouched down behind a large tree. I could still hear them, but I hoped they could not hear me. I needed to know what they were talking about. Normally, if it was some random man with my wife, I would just walk over there, sit down next to my wife, and wrap my arms around her, stating my claim.

This wasn't normal circumstances. I needed to do something different because I doubted Bella would let me wrap my arms around her, and it was not a stranger, it was my so-called new brother. I shuddered at the idea.

My mind wandered in to dark thoughts, I saw Bella and Max sitting together on the couch.

_His arm was around her small frame and Renesmee was sitting on his lap. Alice was laughing with Bella and Max was making a bet with Emmett and Jasper.  
_

_ "Who thinks that Edward will be back here tomorrow to beg Bella for forgiveness again?" Max asked, laughing the whole time. _

__

Emmett let out a roaring laugh, "I'll bet you on that!" 

__

They began to discuss the money when Bella tapped Max on the shoulder. She leaned in close to him, closer and closer, their faces almost met when I let out a muffled scream.

"No," I breathed to myself. I had to stop this, I had to do something.

I stopped crawling forward when I heard them speak.

"You look very upset," Max asked her. I wanted to slap him in the back of his head. _Obviously, you moron_.

If anyone had seen me at the moment, they would have thought me a mad man. I was crawling on the forest floor, at about the pace of a snail, muttering curses under my breath to Max and then to myself for being so stupid and letting my love run away. _I probably was a mad man for letting her get so far from me. _

Bella's sweet, beautiful voice was the next thing I heard. "I am, it's just- just—Edward. He has just been so weird lately, and I do not understand where it is coming from. He got angry with me for the first time for no good reason. He has also been worrying about the fact that he can't read all of your mind or something freaky like that."

Oh no, no, no. Damn it! Why was she talking to _him_ about me? She should have been at home talking to _me_ about me. So it was not just that she wanted to get away from me to think. She also was annoyed with me. My mind shut down at the thought and I ceased listening to their conversation. My life was a wreck. I had finally found the one thing that I could live for, and she already had it with me. I knew I was a loser and I had no idea why she chose me. Now, now I had to live with the fact that I turned her into a vampire when she just wants to get away from me and my disgusting self. Well, who wouldn't?

I broke out into a sprint.

My head was about to explode, when I suddenly heard Bella's voice in my head, I thought it was an angel. Then I realized the angry tone to it.

S_ee, Edward, nothing to worry about. _

Oh, but there was so much to worry about. Realizing that Bella sensed my presence, now much closer to the spring, I walked into the clearing.

Max and Bella were sitting right next to each other, too close for me to be okay with it. I thought maybe I was going crazy but I read in Max's mind the feelings he had for Bella.

Of course his loving thoughts were only of concern and nothing more than the feelings Emmett or Jasper would have towards her. I was frustrated, of course there was more, and he was hiding it. How could a man, without a significant other, sit next to someone as beautiful as my wife and not have a single thought towards stealing her away?

__Max sensed the tension. He quickly stood up. "I, uh, think I'll just be on my way home. Nice talking with you Bella," Bella stood up, swiftly.

"I enjoyed talking with you as well," a smile spread across her lips, and they looked at each other warmly, "thank you," she whispered and he nodded his head.

His arm reached out and I was about to growl at him before I stopped myself, trying to maintain control so I wouldn't pounce on him. So I wouldn't _pounce on him today_, I compromised.

He put his arm on her back and patted her a few times, "You'll be fine," he told her.

I couldn't help it, I growled.

He heard, looked at my livid expression, and ran in the opposite direction of the house.

"Look what you did, Edward! Now someone will have to go tell him you didn't mean it. He's quite sensitive and he knows when someone doesn't like him!" I shrunk back, no longer about to yell and scream.

"Bella, please, _please_ forgive me?"

**What did you think? Any questions? **

_****_


	5. Freedom?

**I really like this chapter and the next one and I hope you guys will too!  
This chapter is dedicated to all of you who added me to your favorites, alerts and/or reviewed thank you guys so much, you remind me why I keep writing. Especially: **Rae rae 1357, sarah, and Recoloured. **  
**

Chapter 5: Freedom?

_**Bella's Point of View**_

"Bella, please, _please _forgive me?"

His face was completely torn, and for a brief moment I pictured myself running towards him arms open and forgiving him. But what problems would that solve? It wouldn't solve the problem with Edward being too clingy and possessive. It wouldn't fix the fact that he growled at Max when Max was being such a good friend to me and that Edward was just angry in general. Most of all, it wouldn't fix the problem that somewhere deep inside I wanted nothing more than to do some things for myself, to be… independent, my own person, without Edward.

Somewhere during my discussion with Max, I had figured that much out for myself. I was tired of being introduced to everyone as Edward's new wife. Edward's this, and Edward's that. He was becoming more controlling and more possessive. He wouldn't leave my side, and I couldn't be away from him with someone else for even a second without him worrying about me and thinking I was doing something completely immoral. 

He needed to give me my space. If he wasn't willing to do that, then I would have to leave him for a while so that I could be on my own. My entire vampire existence had revolved around Edward and Renesmee. I wanted some time for myself. I hoped I wasn't being too selfish, but I honestly think I deserve to be free of my duties as wife if only for a few hours, just once. I don't even think I would mind taking Renesmee along with me, but I knew I couldn't. Everyone would worry much more if Renesmee were missing as well. Jacob would probably have a heart attack. 

Therefore, I had to leave both my duties behind. I thought about how hard it might be for Renesmee. How could I do that to her? I quickly figured out my answer. Girl's night, after the shopping trip! Yes that would be perfect, the perfect getaway. I just wanted to spend some time with my sisters without my husband.

It must have been a few hours that we stood there looking across at each other, just thinking, wondering what exactly was happening between us. As the sun began to rise, Edward had basically crawled to my side

I glanced down at Edward, he was kneeling at my feet. I sat down next to him. "Bella, please, anything, I'll do it, just forgive me!" 

I knew I wouldn't be able to hold up much longer, "Edward," I said, "I need some time alone; I hope you can understand that. I don't really want to talk to you right now. I want to clear my mind, and then tell you how I feel. I promise I will, just give me a day or two to sort things through."

"You want to be away from me?" His voice was shaking.

"Just for a day, a little while, I want to spend some time with other people. I .. will be back," _or so I think._

"I don't understand," he mumbled. 

"Edward, I've always liked quiet time, and time by myself, it's just who I am. These past few years with you have been the best of my life, let me assure you. I just, I need to be alone. Charlie always knew how to keep his distance and let me be when I needed to be," I paused, reminiscing.

"Do you wish you were still human Bella? I am so, so sorry, I knew I shouldn't have listened to you, I'm so sorry!"

"No, no Edward I love who I am now, I really do, trust me. It has nothing to do with still being human, and everything to do with my lost independence," I hoped he would understand, "I have to go," I looked at his distraught face and felt so bad for him. I could not stay here a second longer, however.

"Bye, I will see you later," I began to get up.

"I love you Bella. I love you so much, please, please don't go."

"Edward, you don't understand. I need to be away from you."

"Isabella Cullen, do not leave me here without any idea as to where you are going. You may need to get away from me but I need to be with you."

"I am so sorry Edward. Do not worry about what I am doing. I will be with Alice and Rose tonight," I began to run home. 

Edward did not follow me. The sun had moved higher into the morning sky, and I figured it was about six or seven in the morning. Alice was sure to be ready to get shopping. As soon as I was in the door, I noticed Renesmee was fully dressed, probably pulled from her bed at five am, and Rosalie and Alice were standing beside her. 

"BELLA! Where have you been!? You know this is _my_ day! Are you trying to make me unhappy and strip me from one of the most enjoyable days of my existence?" Her face moved into a little pout, "You know I love back to school shopping!!! Hurry! I laid out clothes for you upstairs. Go, get dressed! NOW! Move it, move it, _move it_ sister!"

I decided now was not the best time to tell her of my plans for this evening, or even to say anything outside of: _Yes Alice_, _Thank You Alice_, _Alice_ _you're right this color is perfect_ and my favorite _Yes, Alice this outfit would look lovely on Jasper_ as I stare dumbstruck at the frilly feminine clothing.

I ran upstairs and mindlessly changed into whatever Alice had laid out for me. I took a quick glance in the mirror. My hair was like it always was, my dark brown messy curls along the bottom of my otherwise straight-wavy hip length hair. I was wearing a pretty, dark blue summer dress that was tighter at the top and flowed outwards at the bottom, it had little white flowers scattered all around it with a rounded neck line that went a little deeper than I would expect from Alice. She put me in these pretty white sandals with only a small heel, for Alice's standards, and a white flower adorning the top. I wondered why Alice had dressed me this way, and figured she had probably seen us going out at night and my reluctance to change again.

I sprinted back downstairs and then outside and into Alice's car that was already half way down the driveway. 

I sat in the back with my daughter. She too was wearing a dress, as was Rose and Alice, I smiled, _so we were going out tonight_.

"Mommy!" Renesmee cheered as I shut the door behind me.

I smiled at her and gave her a hug, "Hey sweetheart."

"Yes, thank goodness she is finally here. I was so close to leaving her here." Alice said, slightly annoyed, and slightly relieved that I was finally here. 

"I'm sorry Alice, Rose, I'll uh tell you about it later, if you don't already know," she half-smiled half-frowned at me in the rear view mirror.

Rose turned around to look at me, "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I should be fine." I said, not really sure. I knew that Alice and Rosalie had picked up on that as they looked at each other quickly with worried glances.

Renesmee turned to me, "Mommy, what's the matter? When I woke up you and Daddy were not at home." She reached her hand across to me and put it in on my face. She showed me her worry when she had woken up and looked around our room and then downstairs, to no avail. He next image was of Alice who came and stole her away so that she could fix her hair and dress her up.

"Don't worry, honey, Mommy and Daddy were just outside in the forest," I thought quickly, "having a midnight snack."

She was not convinced.

"But you just went hunting with me and Max yesterday," she argued.

"Daddy wanted to go, so I went with him," I smiled at her, hoping to fool her.

"Oh, okay," she smiled too.

Alice, probably worried that Renesmee would question me again, turned up the music. By the time all four of us had began to sing along, we had arrived at our first destination.

Alice pulled out her purse, , containing her shiny black credit card, the grin on her face was absolutely stunning, the excitement oozing out of her; she was probably the only one in the world who could possibly spend the daily limit on one of those cards in a day. She made sure no one else was buying anything when it was her day for shopping. Nothing could slow her down today, and nothing could wear her down. I picked up Renesmee, afraid she would get tired much quicker if I let her walk at Alice's-shopping-'walk'-pace, and we were off.

At first we were a little slower as Alice did the math in her head to figure out how much more Renesmee would grow over the coming months. She was sure to be at about a seven-year- old's height by the end of the year, and with Renesmee's birthday coming up Alice just kept using it as an excuse to buy her more things.

After we finished in the children's stores for Renesmee, Alice was smiling and ready to shop for the boys. She was so happy, even Rose's sigh when Alice started piling on the ties and suits for Jacob as well, was ignored.

"That kid has no fashion sense! None! All he wants to wear are those stupid cut-offs and disgusting old t-shirts! Who does he think he is? If he is going to be a part of this family, he had better start dressing like it!"

Quietly, for only me and Rose to hear, Alice whispered, "And if he thinks he can marry my niece looking like what he does today he has got his head in the clouds! I am going to tie him down and teach him how to dress if I have to!"

We were at the last stop for Men's clothing when Renesmee said, "Mommy, nobody's bought anything for Max!"

Alice almost burst into flames, she was so upset with herself. "MAX! I forgot about him completely!" She ran into the store, like the crazy woman she is (when she is shopping) and practically bought him half the store.

In the back corner of the store there were these cute sweaters with funny things on them. I spotted them, but went there carrying Renesmee, but hiding from Alice, knowing that in no way would Alice knowingly let any of the men in the house be seen in any of them. As I was laughing at the funny quotes and pictures plastered on the sweaters with my daughter, my phone began to vibrate in my pocket.

I looked at the caller-ID. It was a call from Edward's cell phone. 

"Hello?"

"Bella!" He was clearly happy that I had even answered my phone.

Renesmee too could hear who it was. "Daddy!!!" She exclaimed.

"Honey, you want to talk to daddy?" She nodded her head, excited. 

I handed her the phone, surprised at how easily I had dodged that phone call.

"Daddy! Yeah, I am with Mommy. No, she is carrying me so that I won't get lost cause aunt Alice likes to move fast when she is shopping. Okay. Love you too, Daddy! Hold on, let me ask her." She held the phone against her chest. 

"Mom, Dad wants to know if you could talk to him really quickly. He says it is very important."

I nodded my head to her, and she held the phone up to my ear for me so that I would still be able to carry the clothes I had, seeing as Renesmee was in my other arm. I heard Alice call for me up at the front of the store by the register, and I moved towards the front of the store.

"Hey Edward, what's up?"

"I love you," he said.

I did not say anything, wondering what else he had to say, and honestly, not quite sure how to respond to that.

He did not say anything either.

"Edward, is that all? Alice is about to chop my head off if I don't move it out of the men's store. Next stop is shoes." I laughed a little, making sure Renesmee could not sense my discomfort.

"Do you love me too?" We were at the register now, and Rosalie was helping the lady sort through the pile on the counter. Alice heard Edward's question and looked over to me, wide-eyed.

I was almost certain this was the scene that Alice had seen in her head a few days ago, and questioned me about.

Knowing that Renesmee was there made me want to say "of course I do" just to comfort her, in case she heard his question too. Even though she didn't have a vampire's perfect hearing, she _was_ holding the phone to my ear. 

"I have to go, I'll talk to you later." I quickly hung up the phone. Rosalie and Alice both turned to me a little stunned. Renesmee seemed unworried so I figured that she hadn't heard.

As soon as we were out of the store, I buckled Renesmee in and shut her side of the door. Alice and Rose had not gotten into the car, and they stood by my door, not letting me get in.

"Bella, all I had was a vision of you and Edward talking. The only thing I heard you say was that you were sorry and that you were going out with me and Rose tonight. That's it. Now, tell us what else happened last night," the look on her face was so worried.

Rose was looking intently at something behind me, but I ignored her.

I took in a deep, unnecessary breath, "Okay, okay. We just had a little argument, and I kind of want to get away from him for a while. He has just been on my last nerves recently," I was about to finish there but Rose gave me a look, telling me I better explain myself. 

My voice, raising an octave, nearly screamed, "He's annoying the hell out of me because he is being so damn clingy and possessive and controlling and I just can_not_ stand it! He wants me to be with him every second of every damn day and I just want to be alone! He's mad that Max and I were talking for a few minutes. He is mad that he can't read Max's mind, he thinks Max has some secret plan to steal me away from him. He got angry because I didn't tell him that I could feel every second of my transformation," this got a shocked reaction from Rose and Alice, "and he's angry because I want to be with you guys for a night instead of him."

Alice looked at me sympathetically and opened her arms for a hug, I was about to break down and dry-sob into her arms, and I almost would have, if I hadn't heard a loud scream come from my daughter inside the car. 

**~~~~  
Any ideas as to what scared Renesmee? Tell me what you think!  
Comments? Questions?**

_****_


	6. Hope

**Hey, just to address a few of the questions from the reviews that I think other people would benefit from:  
First of all, I really want to tell you what I'm planning to do with Bella and Edward, but that would give away a part of the story ): sorry!**

** Yes, Edward did jump to conclusions quickly, but then hasn't he always been that way? (i.e. New Moon) also, the reason for their quickly assuming the worst/ odd behavior/ spazz attacks have a good reason that will be addressed in probably chapters 8 9 and/or 10.  
The main idea of the story will be coming up in the next few chapters, don't worry this story **_**is**_** going somewhere.  
Lastly, thank you for all the reviews! I love hearing from you guys:** gibrat15, Isabella j., georgina cullen, StrawCullen, and Tathiana Maria Alves.

Chapter 6: Hope  
~~~~

_**Edward's Point of View**_

In desperation, I was following the girls as they were shopping, I had to see her. Everything was falling into little pieces in front of me. It was horror film making fun of my life. Could this really be happening? How could she be so in love with me one day and the next pretty much running away from me? It was nothing but torture and I would kill Emmett if this was one of his weird bets or jokes he was constantly trying to get Bella in on to bother me.

I didn't understand. I loved her so much and I wanted nothing more than to hold her in my arms and tell her that over and over for an eternity. Didn't she know that? She had said she wanted to get away from me, that she needed to be away from me for a day or two. A whole day without hearing her voice, without being able to see or feel her next to me? That was too much, I couldn't do it. I needed her like a human needs oxygen. I was addicted to her and I needed her before I went any farther into withdrawal.

It was about two in the afternoon when I decided I would not last another second. After I had called Bella, and she had not said she loved me, my mind went spinning out of control. I parked the Volvo around the back of the store, and slowly made my way into Alice's car. I sat there and waited until they came into the car. Bella was so distracted by her thoughts she did not see me sitting in the passenger seat when she was buckling Renesmee in the back.

I half listened to Bella's voice outside the car, but I was in no shape to focus on what the words were or meant. I was just enjoying the melody of her voice, despite its high, angry tone, it was Bella's voice and that's all that mattered. _I was about 99% sure that, by this point, my mind was working like that of a mad man, or that of a completely creepy stalker. _

I turned around to smile at Renesmee, and she screamed an ear-piercing yell in fear.

"Renesmee, it's just me, Da-" I was cut off as all the doors to the car were flung open by a furious Bella. She pulled me out of the passenger seat. Alice and Rose sort of made a little barrier between us and the rest of the parking lot, helping to avoid making a scene as people were out eating lunch.

The anger in Bella's beautiful features scared me a little, and Rosalie and Alice, noticing it too, came to put their hands on both of her shoulders, as if to restrain her from attacking me.

I smiled, from what I had once read in her mind, her favorite crooked smile, "Bella, love," I said sweetly.

Her anger grew by tenfold. A low growl escaped her lips.

"Bella," Alice said rubbing my shoulder, "why don't you and Edward talk and take Renesmee home. I am sure that she's tired and ready for a nap. Then you can meet me and Rose at the dress store in two hours?"

Even though shoes was probably Bella's least favorite place to go because of the heels that Alice was sure to make her buy, she seemed reluctant to skip out on it. My stomach dropped a little as I realized her dislike for me was greater than her dislike for heels. Bella was not about to agree but when Renesmee called from the car, "Mommy, can you take me home? I want to show Jake all my new clothes!" her expression softened and she scooped Renesmee out of Alice's car. At least I knew her love for Renesmee had not subsided as well.

Alice and Rosalie looked at each other, and then me, exchanged frantic expressions, and got into her car.

Alice was thinking to me, _Oh, Edward, I'm so sorry. I don't understand this. There must be something else bothering her that she's not telling us, or, somebody else. _

She quickly realized what I must have thought by that.

_No, not Max._

Rosalie was even more confused than Alice.

They sped off in the direction of Alice's favorite designer shoe store.

Bella's face was expressionless, but I could tell she felt like she had been set up by her sisters and me, so that she was forced to talk to me. I was alone with Renesmee and Bella, however, and I could not be happier. I started to walk towards where I had parked my Volvo in the back. She quickly caught up with me, and stood in front of me, with her left hand extended towards me. She wiggled her fingers and I looked at her questionably.

What was she asking for? I looked down at her beautiful fingers sparkling a bit in the sun that had begun to appear from behind the clouds. I noticed the rings I had given her on her ring finger… she wouldn't possibly dare to try and take them off…

She seemed frustrated after a second, "Keys?"

I dug in my pocket and came out with the keys to my cars. She tried to take them from me but I took a step back.

"Can I please drive home, Edward?" She asked, still expressionless. She knew I could not deny her, especially at a time like this. Still, handing her the keys was a challenge for me, and if it was any other person standing in front of me asking to have my keys, they would not get them. If all she wanted from me was to be able to drive my car and go shopping for half a day with Alice and Rose, I knew I could grant her that much. My hopes skyrocketed as I saw an upcoming solution.

"Of course love," I handed her the keys, and a weak smile appeared on her face.

She walked quickly to the car, placed Renesmee in the back behind the driver's seat and started the car. I had to hurry to get in before she sped off. _I think she was trying to ditch me in the parking lot. _

_  
_Renesmee had taken to enjoy filling silences with her pretty voice. Sometimes she would talk about nonsense, sometimes she would hold a compelling argument with herself. Other times she would sing songs she heard on the radio, or even ones that she made up out of thin air. Those were the best, and they often had some sort of meaning, or had some reference to something she had done that day. Renesmee thought today was a good day to make up a song. There was no real rhyme or reason to it, or even a tune, it was just Renesmee talking about her day in a sing-song-y voice. It was adorable.

"I went shooooopppping today with my mommy and my aunts,  
we had so much fun together and they let me try on pretty dresses  
then we went shopping for the boys, and boys don't like dresses  
insteaaaaaaaaaaaaaad we bought ties and suits and funky thingies like that  
then my daddy called, he's always funny to talk to on the phoneee but today it was different cause he sounded really upset about something  
he didn't tell me what he wanted to say to moooooooooooooommy  
then he asked mommmyyy if she loved him and she didn't say-"

"Hey, Renesmee," Bella said, stopping her from reliving certain parts of the day, "why don't you tell Daddy about the clothes you got today?"

"I got a lot of dresses, they're my favorite," she said, her voice was slowing, "a pretty pink one with flowers, a blue one with ummm polka dots…" her voice trailed off and I realized the motion of the car after a long day had finally gotten to her and she fell asleep.

After a few minutes, Bella sighed and I decided it was time for us to talk, "Bella, honey, could you please talk to me?"

"Yes, fine, what would you like to discuss?"

"Why you seem like you don't love me anymore, all of a sudden. If you want time alone, sweetheart, that's fine. But, it is not okay if you want time alone right after you are upset with me and you look like you would greatly enjoy ripping my head off."

"But that's when I need my time alone, can't you see? I just can't do this Edward. You want me to be there every second and I can't be there, I can't tell you everything, I can't hate Max just because you do. I just can't. And most of all, I can't tell you I love you when it might not be true." Her foot on the accelerator went down harder than I had ever seen her do before. The speedometer went farther than I had ever imagined Bella would try.

"Bella I don't expect you-"

"Edward! Enough! You do expect me to do all of that, do not lie to me about this. I cannot be your perfect wife all the time. Okay?"

"I'll change, I will, I promise you, I will do everything in my power to let you have your freedom."

"That's what you say now."

"Bella, I-"

"No, Edward! I do _not_ want to hear it." She was almost yelling now, and as we pulled into the driveway, I was pretty sure everyone at home had heard what she said, I confirmed it as they all thought about what was going on between us.

The end of the car's motion had probably woken Renesmee. I did not know if she heard or understood our fight, but she got out of the car on her own and took my right hand and Bella's left hand and walked us in a line into the house, smiling the whole time.

"My mommy," she said looking up at Bella, "and my daddy!" she then looked up at me.

"My mommy, me and my daddy!" She was now singing a song having to do with her walking between her Mommy and Daddy and how happy she was because of it.

As soon as we were in the house, Renesmee, looking up at the two of us, took my hand and Bella's hand that she held and placed them atop each other.

She then ran to Jacob who was sitting on the couch, and she climbed behind him so she could play hair dresser with his hair.

Esme and Carlisle gave us a worried look as we passed by them, Bella soon yanking her hand away from mine. I noticed Emmett and Jasper were missing and Carlisle told me that they had gone to find and talk to Max, who was upset.

Esme motioned for the two of us to follow her onto the deck, outside the hearing range of Jacob and Renesmee.

Esme, clearly worried, "Is everything okay Bella, Edward? If you need some time to work things out, my island is always open to you two. Renesmee seems worried about you, and so am I. I can't stand to see my children unhappy, not when I know just how happy they can be. Please, is there anything you want to talk about?"

"Esme, thank you, I think we just need to talk, don't worry," I said, trying to convince her despite my own uncertainty.

Esme kissed Bella on the forehead, and they looked into each other's eyes for a moment.

She then gave me a hug and walked back inside saying, "Alright, work it out now please," she locked the door and thought in her head _I'm not letting either of those two back in this house until they have worked whatever is going on between them out, _and then remembering me, _got that Edward? Fix this mess, I don't like my daughter upset. _

_  
_Well, Esme, I didn't like her upset either.

The deck had no staircase leading out to the ground below. The only way we were getting off the deck was by jumping, and Bella was already standing on the railing. She closed her eyes and took a step forward. I quickly followed. It looked like she was going to go around the house, and into the garage to take her car to go meet Alice and Rosalie.

"Bella it has only been a half hour, Alice and Rose will still be at the shoe store," she acted like she did not hear me. I caught up with her and pulled her arm.

"Edward, let go. I don't mind high heels anymore. I have gotten over that fear," I knew she was lying.

"Before you go, please, can you tell me if you love me?"

We were only inches apart and it felt like ages since I had felt her lips against mine. She had stopped trying to pull away from my hand on her arm. I was looking into her beautiful golden eyes, and I saw my reflection in them. I had the exact appearance of the mad man I had pictured in my head earlier and my eyes were completely black.

"Oh, Edward," she got rid of the inches between us and her soft delicate fingers traced a line under my right eye, "maybe you have been acting weird because you have not hunted in such a long time," I was taking deep breaths because of her proximity and my desire to tackle her to the ground in kisses was overwhelming me.

I counted back the days. Oops. I hadn't hunted in a long time, she was right. I doubted that was the real reason for my behavior. And it still did not explain why she hated me.

"Go, hunt, I will be back tomorrow." _Tomorrow? _Before I could process what that really meant, she had touched her lips to my cheek so very briefly, electrifying my whole body. Then she ran away from me. I heard the tires of her 'after car' speeding down the driveway. I guessed that the new Bella and I would have gotten along well, what with the super fast driving and addiction to the accelerator. Then I remembered that the new Bella hated Edward.

**This chapter was going to be really long and so Bella's point of view for this chapter will be in the next one. My favorite part of this chapter is actually going to be in the next chapter. Stay tuned! (:  
Questions? Comments? Your questions and comments help me to improve the story! Thank you!**


	7. Dancing

**Hey I don't think I've said this before, but I don't hold any claim to the twilight saga, or the songs I am going to be mentioning in this chapter, just writing for fun (: **

**  
This one's extra long, I hope you have as much fun reading this chapter that I did writing it!  
**

~~~~  
Chapter 7: Dancing

heehee finally!

_**Bella's point of view**_

I knew I could not leave him like this. He had asked me if I loved him, and still not wanting to answer him, I knew it would hurt so much more if I told him no.

I decided I would distract him otherwise and move closer to him. As much as he annoyed me, it did not mean that I wanted to see harm befall him. If I went and told him no, he was sure to go into a greater frenzy and attempt to break the law in front of the Voultri again.

I ran, afraid if I stood there too long he would tackle me to the ground and I would be unable to stop him from kissing me into forgetting.

I jumped in my fast, pretty, shiny, sleek black car. I had not liked it as much when I had first gotten it. Now, I was in love. I loved the way it would get fast really fast. I loved putting down the windows and letting my hair down as I went three times over the speed limit on the highway.

I blasted the radio and began to sing on my way back to shopping. I guessed Edward was right, and that Alice and Rosalie would be not yet be done at the shoe store. I thought I would make my own stop at a dress store before I met them at Rosalie's favorite dress shop. I had seen this fancy little designer store on my way back with Edward and Renesmee. I wanted to wear something different for tonight. Alice would be in for a surprise.

I was listening to whatever was new on the radio, and laughed at how despite the lack of meaning behind the words they were saying, I found them very fitting for my current predicament.

I made a fast turn into the parking lot and slammed the brakes of my car. I loved the rush of that car. I leaped out of the car and noticed the eyes of a few men on me and my car.

One guy in particular was walking towards me and the car and I smiled at him. He probably expected me to stay and talk to him but I left him by the side of my car. He had soft features and a nice face and he was probably quite attractive to a human's standards. I didn't even give the man a second.

"Miss!" he called after me. I continued straight ahead with my head held high and my hair bouncing with each step.

Walking in the store, I noticed a short, red haired woman standing at the entrance, coming over to me.

"Good afternoon! Is there anything I can help you with today, ma'm?"

I was about to give the generic response, 'no, I'm just looking' when I noticed that I was the only one in the store and that it would probably benefit the woman if she could make some commission on me.

Feeling nice, I quickly changed my response, "Yes, actually, I'm looking for something to wear to," I thought carefully about why a normal young girl might spend an excessive amount of money on a party dress, "a bachelorette party tonight."

She nodded and told me to follow her to a corner of the store. I noticed it was the expensive side of the expensive store, and I quickly noted that the woman had taken me for the richest part of the rich that usually came in the store. She treated me like royalty.

"Ma'm before I give you some options, would you like anything to drink? Coffee? Tea? Water?"

I shook my head. She brought over a big leather chair, that I noticed probably wasn't really easy for her to carry.

"Please, take a seat," she breathed, out of breath from the lifting.

"Thank you," I looked at her name tag, "Emily."

"The pleasure is mine, miss. Now, what kind of dress are you looking for? More of a party dress, or more of a gown?"

"Party," I said a grin slowly creeping onto my lips. I was _so_ excited. Alice and Rosalie had told me of how much fun they have had when they go partying without the boys. They did not get to do it often because it meant a night where the boys were out of the picture and it was a challenge to get a vampire couple to give up their nights together.

Rosalie loves to dance, and it's always fun to pick up a few moves from the sex-crazed adrenaline and alcohol entranced humans at a club. They had told me that even though I was extremely controlled, a club was not an easy place for a vampire to be, what with the heat of all of the bodies, and the high heart rates everywhere and had told me I had to wait a little before I was allowed to go in there safely. They tested me at a few places over the past month and had declared me ready to party with them.

"Any color preferences?" the lady asked me as she smiled back at me, picking up on my happier disposition.

My grin was bordering on crazy, "Dark blue."

The lady spun around and told me, realizing I was above buying something that, God forbid, was on display, or out for just anyone to see, "We just got something in from Italy yesterday, I'll be right back. It's perfect. If anything needs to be altered I can have Mark do it right here before you go."

She ran to the back, probably hoping I wasn't a dream, and came back very quickly for a human. Carrying the dress, wrapped in a white bag, she gave me a big smile, handed it to me and opened a dressing room for me.

I pulled the curtain shut and unzipped the bag. I was taken aback. The dress _was _perfect.  
The short dress was extraordinarily beautiful and I thought about how this could not have been designed by your ordinary Italian designer.

The dark blue silk was beautiful and the real silver around the top and bottom were shinning like my skin would on a beautiful summer day in some tropical resort. I noticed something between the twisted silver along the top and bottom, little tiny real diamonds, sparkling as well. There was a lacy cream ribbon adorning the middle, and flowing along the back. It looked so short. I put it on. It was tiny.

Not to the point where I looked like a slut, but to the point where it made me slightly uncomfortable to come out and show Emily. The dress was amazing. It hugged my body in all the right places. Not that there was particularly a bad place on my vampire body, but it made me look prettier than I had ever seen even Rosalie. I spun around and I loved the way it flowed outwards just a little bit. Of course, it didn't flow up too much, or my underwear would have been seen quite easily.

It felt magical. I realized the dress would probably cost about the same as a small house but obviously price was not a limit when you were a Cullen. My stomach sunk when I thought about why I was a part of the Cullen family, and realized it was Edward, it was always Edward. I owed a lot to him, and I did not think I was treating him fairly. Yeah, he was being obsessive, clingy and untrusting but he had promised me he could change for me, he had said he would do anything.

Feeling slightly more confident, I swung the curtain aside and Emily was in front of me in an instant.

The woman had no words, she simply stared in awe. Not only was she about to make a commission on this dress that would probably match her paycheck for a month, but she had found me the perfect dress and it was apparent on her slightly wrinkled face.

"It's perfect, Emily, I'll buy it," she smiled at me and walked me to the register, I didn't bother changing back into my old dress, "Can I just keep this on?"

"Of course! It really seems to be meant to be, sort of magically so. It looks stunning on you miss…" she trailed off, questioning me for my name.

"Mrs. Cullen," I said smiling, normally I would give Bella as my name but I felt like being Edward's wife again.

"Married already?" she asked, glancing down at my left hand and noticing my age.

"Yeah quite happily," I knew I was technically lying, but I was set on fixing things with Edward now. I did love him, there was something wrong with him right now, no doubt, but I had promised to love him no matter what, through sickness and health.

"Nice ring you have there. I do not mean to be nosy, but you don't seem to be the kind of lady who usually comes in here. By kind of lady I mean rich bitchy snob." She laughed lightly, "Did you marry into money?"

"Yes, but it's not what you're thinking. He's actually… younger than me," my husband was over a hundred but he only looked and currently acted much, much younger than that.

"Young, successful and in love with you? Honey, you better hold on to that."

"I know. I love him so much, a little difficult at times but I think I can deal." I noticed a ring on her left hand.

"Married as well?"

"Oh, yes, er or well I was, he… died about ten years ago. Now, I only have one dream, and that is to find the guy who invented Snuggies and marry him!"

I felt sorry for the lady as I laughed lightly and as the she typed some numbers into the register at the counter, I remembered the rule.

Nobody could make any big purchases on Alice's shopping day. I thought of the limit on the credit card and thought it might just put us over the edge, and nobody should stop Alice, even though it would only take a half hour to drive home and back to get the cash. I realized how much I was randomly spending on some dress when I could easily feed a small impoverished country with this money… maybe I shouldn't buy it… there was nothing wrong with the dress Alice had picked out for me…

My phone buzzed in my pocket.

_"Isabella Marie Cullen," _Alice was using her scary I might just think about killing you voice, "_if you do not buy that dress you are not my sister, and I will not talk or look at you for a decade." _

_  
_"Yes Alice," I said, handing over my credit card to Emily.

"Good girl," Alice said, probably having a vision of me wearing it tonight, "Now, I have the perfect shoes for you. Meet us at the dress store Rose is in love with and we will finish our shopping there. We can come back later and finish up the rest of the shopping for us. We are probably near the limit. Ready for tonight Bella?"

"So ready."

Emily probably guessed I was talking to the supposed bride-to-be and smiled handing me back my card and thanking me.

I pulled out a hundred dollar bill from my purse and handed it to Emily, 'thank you' I mouthed to her and walked out of the store in my little dark blue dress. The stares from earlier intensified. Instead of hiding from the attention I embraced it for the first time in my life. Carrying my old dress in one hand, and my phone to my ear in the other, I walked, or probably better described as danced my way to the car. My confident, graceful steps pulled the attention of everyone in the vicinity. My car was only adding to the drooling men behind me. I winked at one in particular just to test it, and I think he might have died right there, his heart was going so fast it sounded like Renesmee's.

"Bella! You will love it," Alice said, still on the phone with me, "and the things you will learn about dirty dancing!" her bell-like laugh filled my ears and I was soon laughing with her, "the boys often get angry when we spend the night apart from them, but the next night they are always happy we went." Her laughter grew, and I was speeding down the highway towards them.

My phone made a buzz noise in my hand.

"Alice, Edward is calling me, I want to tell him I love him again, I really do, but I want to wait for a good time, like after tonight. You don't see a problem happening if I don't, right?"

I could tell Alice was happy with me for choosing to make up with Edward, "Oh, that's fine Bella," she said it like she knew some secret I didn't, "I'm just happy you are thinking about talking to him."

About an hour or two later, it was five o'clock and Rosalie and Alice had bought party dresses as well. In the back seat of Alice's car, and her trunk, were about a billion things, so we put our old things in my trunk and Alice carefully pulled out some shoes she had bought earlier and handed them to me. Strappy silver high heels, they were quite something.

I looked down at them wearily.

"I had a vision about a particular sister of mine saying that she was over her fear of high heels! No getting out of this one Bella!" Alice sang the words to me and Rosalie laughed, completely stunning in her little red dress. When she had seen me in my blue dress she had told me I looked prettier than anyone she had ever seen. That was some compliment coming from a woman that was easily one of the prettiest in the world.

We were all in my car and off to the closest big city, about four and a half hours by a fast human's standards, but only three when it was this new me behind the wheel. We had dropped off Alice's clothing filled car at home

At home, Jasper and Emmett came outside telling us they could not find Max, but that he had left a note saying that an old friend of his had asked him for his help with something, and that he would be back shortly.

They ogled at their wives and begged to at least be able to come with us, but they were denied. I spied Edward looking down at the scene from our third floor bedroom window. I was surprised he did not come down, I would have told him then, but we were only there for about three minutes before we left again. I was confused as to why he did not come down, I asked Alice.

"Oh, Carlisle and Esme basically yelled at him for annoying you. They said if he wasn't willing to give you the space and trust you deserved, he didn't deserve you. They told him he was being irrational, and they sort of told him you were being like him when he was a young vampire. You just wanted your independence. The reason he stayed upstairs is because they said the harder he forced himself on you, the farther away you would pull," she chuckled, "he wouldn't dare make Esme more mad at him, especially for something like annoying you."

Alice told me the directions to the club as we got into the city. We pulled up and I reluctantly gave my car to an excited looking valet.

From my life with the Cullen's I expected Rosalie and Alice to know the owner of the club, whisper something in the security guard's ear, or just walk straight in to the club. None of that happened however, and while we were waiting in line to get in the club, Rosalie told me why.

"Oh, we've tried it all Bella. We've done the whole VIP thing, just walking straight in as the men stare, but it's just not as fun as the surprise you get when the security guard and the," she used air quotes " 'common people' see you. The VIPs are supposed to be stunning, models or celebrities. It's much more fun this way, Bella, trust me."

I nodded my head and we waited in line as the sun went down and the lights turned on throughout the city. We got to the front of the line, and the guard smiled down at us.

"You lovely ladies can go right ahead in," he said grinning. Then he whispered to me, "next time just come right to the front, pretty ladies like you all don't have to wait in any lines."

We smiled back and walked into the club. Alice and Rosalie were right. It was not really easy to ignore the pounding of so many human hearts in such a small place, but my excitement was easily much greater than any kind of vampiristic desire I could have.

Ignoring the bar, Rose and Alice made a beeline for the center of the dance floor where they were sure to obtain as much attention as possible. There was grinding and plenty of the so called dirty dancing was going on everywhere. I did not know how or where to start. Rosalie and Alice told me to follow their lead but I had no idea what they meant by that. I had forgotten about my inability to dance. Damn my two left feet!

I was about to give up all together when my phone buzzed. Edward. I cringed. How would I live this down? Not dancing when I had begged to be able to go for so long? I ignored the call.

All of a sudden another one of those random, what I had before thought to be mindless radio hits, came on. I laughed at its accuracy, immediately it felt like the beat was within me and I didn't want the song to end. Some guy's warm body was becoming daringly close to mine, but I barely noticed as I sang along to my favorite part:

_"Boy why you blowin' up my phone won't make me leave no faster,_

_put my coat on faster, leave my girls no faster.  
I shoulda left my phone at home 'cause this is a disaster!  
Callin' like a collector  
Sorry: I cannot answer!_

_Not that I don't like you: I'm just at a party  
And I am sick and tired of my phone ri-ringing  
Sometimes I feel like I live in Grand Central Station  
Tonight I'm not takin no calls 'cause I'll be dancin'  
'Cause I'll be dancin'  
'Cause I'll be dancin'  
Tonight I'm not takin' no calls 'cause I'll be dancin!_

_Stop callin', stop callin'; I don't wanna think anymore!; I got my head and my heart on the dance-floor  
Stop callin', stop callin'; I don't wanna talk anymore!; I got my head and my heart on the dance-floor!"  
_

I laughed lightly as the song came to an end. The guy who was near me before, now had his body up against mine and he whispered something crude in my ear. I quickly stepped away from him, looking for my sisters. I found them by their cool temperature.

"Hey Bella, I saw you dancing, hahaha, here, come dance with us, we will. . . help you." Rosalie said, pulling me in between her and Alice.

Alice loved the next song, and went crazy at Cascada's _Evacuate the Dancefloor_. She was moving in ways that I didn't know were possible. I soon caught on and was dancing with the help of my sisters, singing along with my hands in the air.

Rosalie laughed at me, "Bella you are making it too difficult on yourself, feel the music like you were earlier!" I thought I heard Alice's phone ring, when she excused herself for a moment.

Rosalie wondered if it was Jasper, and vowed not to pick up if Emmett called her tonight. I gave her a high-five, also agreeing not to pick up if it was Edward. They could give us a night alone. It is not like Edward would not know and tell them if any one of us did anything they would disapprove of.

Train's _Hey Soul Sister_ came on next, a sort of faster club version was blaring through the speakers. Rose and I jumped and danced and sang it at each other, never losing our huge grins and the attention of men all around the club.

Alice returned to us towards the end of the song, "Oh, Bella." She seemed worried as she dragged Rose and me to the corner of the club.

"Edward was itching to follow you here, Bella, and he did. He was not going to come in, just wait outside, but he found my mind in here when I had a vision a minute ago of you finding him outside and running right out of the city, he decided to come in to try and make you stop. The other boys came to stop him, but he wouldn't listen." Alice looked at me worriedly.

"Bella, you wouldn't do that, right? Because you _are_ ready to forgive him?"

If I could have done so without attracting all the attention in the room, I would scream louder than anyone ever has.

I stomped my foot in anger, shaking the ground around me and my sisters for a second.

**~~~~  
Questions?! Please, feel free to give constructive criticism as well!  
Tell me what you thought of it! Thanks for reading!  
**


	8. Running

**This one answers some questions! I think I'm about half way done this story, so stay tuned for the ending! **

Chapter 8: Running

_**Edward's Point of View**_

My sweetest dream, my angel, she was running away from me and my family. I felt so awful. She had to know that even if she did not love me anymore, she would be able to be with my family. I would not make my darling suffer. I would love her from far. It would hurt so much more knowing she was out there. I would gladly be the one running along the country side. She could take my place, marry Max, whatever. As long as she was happy.

I thought quickly of the Voultri, but took it back as I thought of my second reason for life, Renesmee.

My little girl. I never thought I would be able to say that, never dreamed, never imagined. Bella had made it all possible for me, and that just made me love her more. I wanted what was best for her, which I had thought could be me. Now I saw another possibility. I almost cracked a smile at how the other possibility was Jacob last time.

Thinking how awkward it would be for Renesmee when she grew up and heard about Jacob's er… unclean thoughts about him and her mother. I wish I could be there when they relived that to her. That would be quite the day.

On second thought, maybe we should wait until Jacob and she are married.

But, then again, I wouldn't mind it if Renesmee took a break from her werewolf friend for a while.

My beautiful little girl, how could I leave this world with her still here? She still would need her Daddy for so much. I thought quickly about my brothers and father. Surely, they could make up for whatever I would miss out on teaching her.

My thoughts were simple now. I would have to go in there, tell Bella that I wanted her to stay with our family and not come after me. I would tell her to continue dancing, tell her she looked beautiful and that I got the hint about coming back 'tomorrow'. Of course, she had meant 'tomorrow' in vampire terms, which means she is not coming home. There is just one long day for us vampires.

Then, I would just go. Maybe swim to Italy, depending on how I felt about that.  
As I neared the club, I found Alice again. _I don't want to stand here. I can't do this. I know we can't run after her, she told us there was a good reason not to. I just hope she calls soon so we can explain it to the others… and Edward. _

I feared the worst. I could not tell if the image in her mind was of the real Bella leaving or one of her visions again. I needed to find Rosalie, or her mind, or some human.

I was outside of the club when I noticed that there was a line to get in. There was no way I could get inside in time to save Bella from running away from her family. I had to do something!

All of a sudden I noticed a group of humans with the same image of Bella running out in her pretty blue dress. The men were wondering who had bothered such a fine lady, and the girls were jealous of her perfection.

She had run, and I could not tell through which exit. I was hopeless. I walked around the club slowly, trying to catch her scent rather than anyone else's.

Rosalie, Alice, Jasper, and Emmett made a little circle around me.

"Freeze, Edward!" Emmett called.

We probably looked like a gang.

"No, I will not," I said, trying to push Emmett out of the way, of course that wasn't possible he was and always will be stronger than me.

"Edward, listen," Alice said, "Bella told us to stop you, she said it was for our own good not to follow her. I can't see what is happening to her, all I see is her running and running… I think she meets up with Max but I cannot be certain, it's all hazy from there you know that, I know you see it in my head Edward, I am not lying to you. Nor could any of us ever."

My face was contorted into an unpleasant way. I could not stand this any longer. Now my family too was in full support of Bella with Max, oh who am I kidding, of course their thoughts were that they were just friends blah blah BLAH. I KNEW better. Max was not an innocent man and where ever she is running with him is not safe. It cannot be. I know she would never listen to me now, so I cannot help them find her and warn her.

"Alright, alright! I'll stop! I'll just be on my way home now."

I would do the best thing I could for the reason of my existence, I would tell my family my last wish was for them to find Bella and warn her that Max was dangerous a lot more than we think, as long as she knew that, and was happy, then I give my full support, and I would die happily.

I quickly wrote a note and left it on the bed in what used to be me and Bella's room and went downstairs to talk with my family and play some music one last time. Someone would find my note there, if anyone, Renesmee.

I did not say exactly that it was my dying wish, because then of course it would be obvious I was going to Voltera.

I also avoided Alice's visions by thinking about going other places, making other plans in the future. I hoped I could pull that off long enough.

_**Bella's Point of View**_

_What does he think he is doing?! Coming here? If he saw me finding him, why didn't he use his little brain and skedaddle? _

_  
_My mind was filled with so much rage, that my mental shield was becoming more and more powerful. For fear that it might become more of the physical shield that Emmett and I had worked on for some time, telling Alice I would call her and explain later, I found my exit.

"I will call you guys, I will. Just let me get out of here, I'll explain in the phone call but don't run after me and don't let anyone else, okay? I don't want to hurt my family." I zoomed out of the club after these words.

What was Edward thinking? One night with my sisters. _One night_. He has to go and ruin it. There must have been something wrong with him; something must have been messed up. It was dark outside, so nobody could see me as I almost flew by into the suburbs in a matter of a few minutes. When I found some forest, I ran into it and picked up speed. I knew I had to call someone soon, so they would not worry about me, but right now all I could think about was running. Keep running, Bella. I said to myself over and over.

I was not about to let Edward find me, I was pretty sure my shield was physical right now and would probably whack him back so far it would hurt his vampire body. Not only that, but I was going to forgive him, because I knew how much I owed him, to respect him and find out what was wrong.

Why was I so blaringly angry at him, why was I so completely uncontrollable like that? There was something wrong. I knew it.

Instead of running, I should be next to Edward working this out… my pace slowed.

I tried to make my shield calm down, but the bubble around me was blaringly red. I sat down quietly. _Calm down, Bella, calm down_. It was not working.

This was so unlike me. These past few days had been so unlike me! When would I ever think about running from Edward? Even if he was not apologizing, when had I ever thought I could possibly run away from him? Something weird was going on with me, and I just couldn't put the pieces together.

The thought struck me at the exact same second that the smell did.

_Max. _

He was approaching the clearing, my thoughts were going a mile a minute, or maybe more like a second.

Edward might be right about this one. Max said he had the ability to test love, and late one night he told the family about his ability to mess and confuse a love that was younger than him, a love that was weaker than him. He had declared the tests involuntary.

Our love. My love. It was younger than he was. He had not been able to mess around with Alice and Jasper, Carlisle and Esme or Rosalie and Emmett because their love was older than he.

My vampire mind looked back to those first evenings we spent with Max, and my mind struck a question that Renesmee had asked him before we had gone hunting. My mind whizzed out of control as all the pieces fit together.

"Max? Are you in love with anyone? Do you have a mate?"

"No, I'm still in love with the woman I was with about ten or so years ago. I was changed into a vampire before my death from cancer, I was told I could not speak to my human family," he sighed, looking down in dismay.

He had only been changed ten years ago so of course our young love was weaker than him. The only way to overcome this curse was to complete the test, but he had never seen it done before because the couple was so repulsed by each other by the end.

Of course, why hadn't I thought about that? Our love was susceptible to his test, and I should have known that! Edward should have too. Everyone should have!!!

I remembered the conversation exactly. Of course I did. I was a vampire.

"My power has this weird way of working on its own; it's a part I have not yet learned to control. It only affects two people in love that are younger than me in vampire years."

_So, everyone assumed that since Edward was many decades old that the test would not affect us. Well, it did not affect both of us, just me. That is why I was pulling away, while he was clinging. It was just me that spun all of this up in my mind. I was the crazy one! _

_  
"_BELLA!" Max shouted as he was a few yards away from the clearing.

_  
_Max had arrived, "Max!" I called, excited that I knew how to fix this.

"Bella, Bella! Don't you see? Your love with Edward is being tested by me! I was so wrong! I thought that if I ran away, the test would stop and you two could go back to normal, but I was wrong! It works the other way! If I go away the test gets stronger, so I must be near you until you complete the test, so that it weakens and the two of you can see more clearly. When I started coming closer, could you see more clearly how insane you were being to doubt your love with your husband?"

I nodded my head.

"Quickly, Bella, follow me," he started running north.

"Where are you going, Max?"

"I will explain as we run. Just run with me."

**********

It was about two or three hours into our run, before I began to get weary. Max had yet to explain anything, and I had yet to call Alice, well actually, I would call Edward too.

I pulled out my silver cell phone and dialed Alice first thinking she could give me some answers as to where I was going exactly—keeping my fast running pace next to Max the whole time.

She picked up before the first millisecond of the first ring, "BELLA!" She screamed into the phone.

Max looked over at me, and he mouthed to me, 'You can tell them you're with me, just do not tell them the direction we are headed, it's for their own good. I think I can explain as soon as you are off the phone.'

"Alice! I'm fine, honest. Have you seen anything as to what I am doing?"

"No, it's all blurry. I thought I saw Max with you but then he disappeared and then you did too! What's going on?!"

"Max is with me, there is a problem Alice, and I have to help him, that's all I can say and really all I know. I'll try to stay safe, promise."

"Okay, Bella. Love you, sister, stay safe. Don't forget to come back home to us."

"I will, Alice."

Honestly, though I had no idea what would happen. Max had yet to explain this. On the other end of the phone, I heard Edward singing and playing his piano version of 'Wherever You Will Go' softly in the background, attaching my name to every line.

I wanted to turn around and run to him! I felt so weak because of the attachment I had to him. Thank goodness Max was here and I could see clearly how much I loved him. The questioning from the test had been forced into my brain but those thoughts were so _insignificant_, and so easily worked out that they were completely ignored and out of my thoughts.

"Alice, can I uhm, talk to Edward, please?" The notes on the piano ended abruptly and I could almost see Edward spring up, his face illuminated with hope.

I heard Renesmee running down the stairs, "IS THAT MOMMY ON THE PHONE?"

Alice held her back, "Hold on, Neisse, she wants to talk to your Daddy first."

"Edward?" I said, in a sort of out of breath sort of way. Or in other words, the way a vampire sounded when she was running so fast it would be a blur to human eyes.

"Bella, love?" he said, letting out a deep breath, like me saying his name in a caring way was enough to lift two tons of weight off his shoulders. I was not sure what question he was asking me: if it was really me, or if he was allowed to refer to me as his love again.

Max cursed, ran over to me and my phone, plucked it out of my hand, and smashed it in his hand.

"Bella the cell phone, we can be tracked easily with one of those on us. I'm so stupid, I can smell them nearing us."

I was angry, "Sooo, you couldn't let me finish telling my husband that I love him?"

"Oh, I- I am sorry, Bella. We may be able to call him later. I guess I will tell you what is going on now," he said, never slowing down.

I was still angry at him. I just needed to tell Edward three simple words, but I hesitated and in my moment of hesitation, the cell phone that would carry my message had been destroyed. I supposed telling him in person would be ideal, but that opportunity would not be given to me for who knows how long.

I listened as Max explained to me the very complicated problem he had gotten himself and the Cullens into.

**What did you think? Comments? Questions?  
(: thank you, readers and reviewers!  
**


	9. Problems

**Hey guys! I have received a lot of alerts, favorites, and reviews this time. Thank you guys SO much.  
I appreciate every single one!  
Special thanks to: georgina cullen, Michaylalove, carrigan-r, twisessed, and Sara Maher!**

********

  
Chapter 9: Problems

_**Bella's Point of View**_

Max's words scared me so much, but I knew I had to help him. What was family for? And, just over a year ago we had basically asked the same thing from much less than family.

"Bella, I messed up, I really did. I love you and your family, I really do, but at first I didn't know I could, and I was ready to change to be a part of your family. I thought they would let me, I was so stupid."

"Who is they?"

"The Voultri."

I was silent for a moment, almost too shocked to keep my bubble around us. I quickly snapped out of it, reminded of our danger, and now I knew it was a serious danger. _The Voultri. _

"Oh, Max, Max. What, no wait, who are you, really?"

"I'm… I'm a member of the Voultri guard, but I don't want to be anymore. I want to be a Cullen. I understand if you guys won't want me after all this, but I just have to tell you I want to be a part of a real family again more than anything, except maybe… having my human family back."

"Explain."

"I was born, as a vampire, 10 years ago when the Voultri were looking for a talented human that may have a great power when they changed them. They found me and thought I was quite interesting. I was on my death bed when they found me."

"My wonderful wife didn't even have a body to burry."

I slowed almost to a stop, wanting to comfort him.

I gave him a hug, but he quickly pushed me forward, making me run even faster.

"They told me that they were basically the good, honest police force for vampires, and that with the power they assumed I had, I would be a great tool for seeking out 'risky' vampires and breaking apart powerful covens. They trained me for many years. Your family was my first and main mission, and I had a feeling they made me just for this exact reason, to defeat the Cullens, in a way that the other vampires wouldn't get suspicious. They informed me of when they went to see you in Forks, but kept me in Voltera. They told me a new, very powerful member had been added to the ranks, that was you, Bella. They told me you would be the prime target, the newest addition, the easiest to break off…"

I gasped a little as things started to get clearer, like when Max was staring at me, when Max was trying to get close to me.

"When I was sent on the mission, I first observed your family from far away, for many weeks, I even took on your practice of feeding on animals during this time. I fell in love with the emotions around you guys. I didn't want to destroy you, but I assumed that the Voultri were the good guys and knew what was best. After talking to you guys, and hearing your stories, I heard the other side of the story. How the Voultri are sometimes unjust, and unfair, and only good in some respects. I knew I could not destroy you, and I realized that I was breaking up you and Edward. That's when I ran away."

We had arrived at a little private jet parked in the middle of a forest. Max hopped in and quickly took off, flying the plane… I wondered where he had stolen this from.

"Continue the story, I would like to figure out where exactly you are flying me to, Max."

"Right, so just yesterday, someone was sent to find me and check to see if I was completing the task of breaking up the Cullen's emotional ties. What they didn't realize was the only tie I could break up in the family (because of how tied up you all were in each other's love) was one that would fall under my test, and the only one possible was you and Edward. All of your emotions of love were much too knotted up for me to break apart, it was impossible, and I hope all of you know just how beautiful your family's web of love is. It really is something. The only thing I could break was in a way I couldn't control and I'm so sorry for whatever pain I caused you and Edward."

"It's okay Max, you could not help it. You did all you knew how. And, it's really not me you should apologize to, I think we both need to talk to Edward…"

I smiled thinking of our reunion… wishing I could be with him, wishing it would be sometime soon.

When Max continued his voice sounded like he hated himself.

"I foolishly told the vampire who came to check on me that I wasn't coming back, because I would like to stay with the Cullens. I still thought that the Voultri had somewhat of a heart, and would grant me my wish. But I was dumb, of course they would not let me stay. The real reason they wanted the Cullens destroyed is not because you are evil, but because they are scared of your strength, and if I joined you, of course they would only be more scared, so today, they sent a tracker, Jane, and her brother to come kill me before I could pose any damage."

"Oh, no…"

"Yes, and they are after me right now. Now, we are going to Volterra, because I have always known Marcus to be one to reason with, and I figured if I bring you to him, maybe he won't go after the rest of the family. See, Marcus and I have spent much time together with our similar talents."

I thought of the last time I had seen that man with his weird, old skin and cringed slightly. I did not understand how anyone thought they could reason with him. He seemed so… far away… like he wasn't living in the moment.

" It is really you he is after, Bella. I beg of you to do this for me. It is the only way to save my life, and it might be the only way to save you and your family. I know it's all my fault, but Bella, please, say you will help me?"

"Max, of course, you are family." He smiled and gave me a hug, for considering him family, or helping him, I do not know. I have grown to believe he meant both.

"Okay, so when we get there, here is the plan. We get there, and I tell him I have successfully broken your ties with Edward. Now, I can block out the parts of my mind that I don't want Aro seeing, it is a very important skill I developed, that he taught me, so that I could avoid Edward. What he does not know, is that I can also help others."

His face turned up into a dark smile, and then he was thinking back again. 

" See, there was once this lady who was about to be killed for telling a human that she was a vampire, and he was about to have her killed. I did not think this was that big of an offense, and before Aro could touch her, I mentally stretched my gift to her and didn't let Aro see one illegal thought."

"Okay, so you want me to take away my bubble, like I do for Edward sometimes, and let him see my mind with your help at blocking out the part where I love him again?"

"Exactly."

"Okay, and then what?"

"Well, there's one more thing, Bella."

"Oh, no. Max…"

"Um, if you want I can turn around and take you home right now, but… he sort of expects me to have convinced you to join the guard."

I knew my family would be at so much risk if I went home right now, Aro would be after us, thinking us much too powerful. Not to mention, Max, _my brother_, would be dead before I could walk into Edward's arms.

"Take me to Aro, I have a plan." I immediately took away my bubble, hoping Alice could see me as we landed in Volterra.

_**Edward's Point of View**_

At the same moment that the call dropped, I knew there was something wrong. She was going to say she loved me again. I could hear it in the way she said my name. She was with Max. As much of a comfort as it was to know that she was with someone, it was a discomfort, because I did not trust Max.

Alice came in the room, just as I was about to make a run for my Bella. I saw the image in her head as she explained it in detail to the others.

_Max and Bella hugging in the forest. Max and Bella on a jet. And then… landing in Voltera. _

"I-I think Max is a member of the Voultri guard, and he has convinced Bella to go back with him. She is not fighting against it, and she knows what is going on, I see it on her face, she looks very, very sad. I think Aro is forcing them to go, under the threat of death because there was someone chasing them in the forest, but Bella had the bubble around them for the most part so they were having a hard time tracking, since it was Demetri, who uses the mind."

"Also, Max is close to Marcus, because they have a similar talent… only Max's power is much, much more powerful. Maybe they think they can reason with the Voultri using a combination of their powers… I wish I knew why _exactly_ they were in trouble!"

Alice was getting frustrated and it was just making it harder for her to concentrate, Jasper sent a wave of calm air through the room. The calm made me think more rationally, maybe I should have my family come with me to Voltera, surely they would want to help Bella as well, and if I wanted to plan on saving the reason for my existence, then I would want as much back up as I could get, in case anything happened to me.

I was suddenly so grateful for having Jacob with us all the time. It was like have a round the clock baby sitter that I knew would not fail in protecting my daughter.

The weight of the moment fell on me. It felt like a year since I had last seen Bella at the house, and much longer had it been since I had felt her in my arms, perfectly content. I wanted that at this moment so badly, it hurt to imagine it. Just have her here, in my arms, safe. Why couldn't she see my absolute devotion? That I would do anything? I thought that we were passed the doubt. The only thing was that I was a little protective and clingy. I was going to work on that for her, but it was so hard to not be next to her every chance I got. It was all my unbeating heart desired, the only thing that mattered. My light, that young comet that once zoomed over my starry sky was a sun, and when she was gone, like she was now, it was like one long dark winter's night.

I thought of the artist, Van Gogh. When people read about him, he seemed like such a weird guy. Chopped his ear off, was in a mental asylum. I thought of his most famous panting, A Starry Night. I thought of it with a totally new fascination, there was something more to it, he wasn't crazy, he must have just been crazy in love. I knew I must have looked like a crazy man to my family, muttering these things under my breath, pacing around the family room.

All the eyes were on me, as if waiting for me to decide what we should do about Bella and Max.

"I'm going to Voltera," I announced, and opened the front door, pulling out my cell phone to make a few calls for plane tickets.

I heard Renesmee let out a wail, "Daddy, where are you going? You and Mommy can't both leave me, that's not fair. Stay here."

"Honey, I have to go save your mother. I _have_ to." I looked down at my darling daughter, the second biggest star in my universe.

" I love your mother so much, sweetheart, I can't let anything bad happen to her. It would ruin me." I thought Renesmee might be a little too young to understand the intensity of my words, but she understood quickly, I saw her make a comparison to her attachment to Jakey, and I nodded, "It's similar, but _a lot_ more." I said to my daughter as she showed me her feelings towards Jacob.

The whole family headed to the door, minus Jacob who was now holding Renesmee a few feet back from the rest of us.

"What, am I supposed to stay here?"

"Yes, and keep Renesmee safe, okay? Please, Jacob, I'm sure you don't want to come and put her in any danger? The Voultri don't appreciate werewolves." He nodded in understanding and waved us off, Renesmee with rolling tears coming down her rosy cheeks, for her family. I didn't know if I would see her again, the thought hit me hard, but I knew there was something more important to me in Italy, and in a lot more danger than being home alone with a werewolf.

All eyes were on the seven of us as we walked a little too fast through the busy airport. Alice was in the front, leading the way.

"Bella, she's asking for us, she wants our help… what are we going to do? I think Max has gotten himself into some serious trouble and Bella has gone to help him. They cannot do it alone. They need help, somehow. But, she's not ready for us to come yet." Alice stopped muttering as they made the call that our airplane was now boarding.

We all picked up speed a little. The world was staring.

"Oh, I wish I could just read her mind, dammit. UGH. I – I think they want to … take over or… take control of the Voultri, something absolutely crazy like that. I wish I could tell her to stop, but her phone is disconnected or something. WHAT IS SHE THINKING?!" Alice was now talking a little too loudly and a man next to us in line looked at us warily, like someone would look at a susceptive terrorist with a big bomb and dark mask over his face.

My thoughts went crazy. She was thinking of overthrowing the Voultri.

"Oh my…" Alice said. She was very atuned to Bella, she could sense almost anything she did. The bubble would blur her visions a little, but Alice had learned to work around that too. With the amount of trouble Bella got in to, I knew it would be a good idea for her to work on.

I saw the image that made Alice stopped. It felt like my heart had stopped for a second time.

"I think she or actually we will _win_." Everyone froze in line. The lady at the counter asked Alice to please step forward.

She snapped out of her trance and handed the lady her boarding pass. 

How in the world could 9 vampires over throw the Voultri, and more importantly, _why would they? _

_  
_**********  
Questions? Comments?  
Lots of action coming up, stay tuned everyone!  
Thanks again for reading and reviewing! :D** _  
_

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	10. Travels

**Sorry for the wait! Chapters will be coming out more often once we get into the end of May and my classes start to ease up.**

**Thanks this time goes to my consistent reviewers, and my new ones. You guys keep me going!**  
**Those are: carrigan-r, ftwmomof3, twisessed, and georgiana cullen.**

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Chapter 10: Travels

_**Edward's Point of View:**_

_  
_Before the lady behind the counter could take Alice's boarding pass I snapped it away.

"Wait." I said, holding Alice's arm, and pulling my family out of line, "All of you need to stay here. The Voultri are not dumb, and they are sure to catch seven vampires in their city. They will be sure to catch one. We cannot be so careless."

"Edward is right." Alice said, now looking into the future making sure it was the right choice, "We should all wait for some further signal from Bella, maybe wait nearby."

"No, no, no, I will go first, and figure out what Bella needs us to do. Anyway, I must see her… I can't stand waiting around with all of you to figure out what's going on."

They wanted to object, I heard it in each of their minds, but then there was another pull within all of them. Each one of them was concerned for their mate, was concerned they would loss them in trying to bring Bella back to us. Slowly, they understood.

Esme came over and hugged me her thoughts were a mess as she tried to warn me, and help me in some way through the agony that she must have seen in my eyes. _Don't let her get hurt Edward, whatever is going on with her is temporary, it must be. She loves you and only you forever and you know it. Vampires don't change their temperaments easily, but you know Bella has always been different, just give her time. _

_  
_She continued to hold me as people around us began to stare; Emmett and Rosalie patted me on the back and started to head away from the terminal. Jasper was close behind, but Alice was pulling him closer to me.

_  
_I'm sure Jasper was sick of my utter anguish and anxiety. The feeling of the loss of Bella was eating at me, slowly. What if I had lost her? Where would my life be? Oh, I was heading to the Voultri anyway…

I shuddered away from the thought and hugged my family good bye.

Alice was the last to speak, "We will go back home, but we will call some friends, and see if they would help us, or if they could give us some advice. There might be something wrong with Bella or Max, we will try to figure it out. I'll make sure we are there when you need us. I'll be watching you."

Her thoughts suddenly turned a new way, "_Edward Anthony Masen Cullen_." She hissed, as she looked into the possibilities in my future, "You will not hurt yourself, if it comes to my attention that your thoughts have finalized… I will come get you, I'll jump on the next plane if I have to."

"Alice, no, you can't come." I said, answering a question forming in her head, "Someone needs to stay here to wait for me to signal for your help."

I gave my family one last half-smile and turned my back on them.

I took my place in line, and handed the lady my boarding pass, I was headed into the air plane when Carlisle put his hand on my shoulder.

_Be careful, son. I'm sure Bella is in no immediate danger so take your time and be careful. I love you. _

_  
_I nodded in agreement to his thoughts, "I love you too, Dad."

The plane ride to Italy was long and slow. My thoughts were dark, darker than usual. They almost made me wish for death because of just how unbearable they were. She loved me, yes.

But was that enough?

Comprehension started to dawn on me_. Yes, she loved me, but no it was not enough. I was the Jacob this time around and Max had taken my place, or rather stolen it. My thoughts mimicked those of Jacob a few years ago when he was still infatuated with my wife, and in a few years, (or more than a few, if I had a say) years his mother-in-law. _

Had she really fallen for someone more deeply than the love she had for me? Maybe she had become disgusted by me. Maybe I had begun to bore her. Maybe she felt tied to me because I created her, that she had no choice and that she was forced to love me.

I thought our love was deeper than any other. Oh, I wish I could read her mind.

As the ride dragged on my thoughts spun even deeper out of control, and this time I had no will to stop them. I let the angst and terror have me. I deserved it for letting her slip away.

_ It was a bright, sunny afternoon. Everyone was glittering in the pretty, secluded, meadow except for two people: Jacob and Renesmee. Renesmee was much older now, she looked to be about sixteen, and Jacob held her hand. The thought did not disturb me so much as make me smile at my daughter's happiness. I truly was happy that Jacob had imprinted. Of course, I would greatly have preferred it were someone else, especially not my daughter, but I was happy he had found the reason for his existence. I was proud, like a father would be for a son._

_ I, too, was in this meadow. I sat by myself on a picnic bench. The stream running along the side of the meadow was flowing peacefully and Bella, with her hair down and blowing in the gentle breeze, had her feet splashing in the water. Her hair caught the sun and shimmered, though not as much as her skin, the wavy deep brown hair seemed to have lighter highlights and the curls along the bottom and around her face made her look like an angel, the striking white-and-dark-blue sundress only added to her beauty. Alice sat to her one side, and Max to the other. _

_  
I noticed quickly that they were having a charming little splash war, giggling back and forth. Alice was only smiling at their joy. After a moment, Alice stood up, and walked towards Jasper. He was nearby, probably basking in the happiness emanating from Bella. _

_  
After one serious splash that reached farther up Bella's dress, playful anger appeared on her features. She turned around to tackle Max. He let her, and as she straddled him… _

_  
she gave him a deep, loving kiss. _

_  
_"Watch It!" Cried the angry man in the seat in front of me. I guess I had beaten my head against his seat a little _too_ forcefully. I had to control these thoughts! I was not psychic, nor was I able to dream, so these thoughts came straight from my own self hatred.

I hated myself more than ever before. I thought of all the things I could have prevented, now that she did not love me. For one, I could have left her human. HOW STUPID WAS I. I should have walked away that first day I saw her in Forks. _I hated me._

Now that it had occurred to me that I would not be able to count on finding Bella who was about to tell me she really loved me, I began to worry. Well, if she still loved me a little, (which is something had to be sure of), then, of course she should be able to listen to me whisper to her to block my mind. Surely she would do that much for me, if not me, than for the safety of everyone else.

_**Bella's Point of View:**_

After I explained everything to Max, he seemed more than shocked. "Bella… surely you don't think we could do that. Are you crazy?"

"Max… I don't know when, and I don't know how… but we have to try."

"What do we do for now, then?"

"We keep our minds blocked from Aro, and we do our best to convince him we are part of his guard."

My mind zoomed out of control. How long would I be here? How long would I have to leave my daughter, how much will she have changed the next time I see her? Will I even be able to recognize her. Dry sobs threatened to take over before Max held my shoulder.

"We may be able to convince the Voultri that I left Edward, but I have no idea how to convince them I left behind my daughter for all of eternity."

"I shall tell him I broke off that tie as well, don't worry, Bella, and I will be forever sorry if I cannot get you out."

"No, Max. It's not your fault. You are right in assuming that I would do anything to avoid my family being destroyed. I would give up my life a thousand times before I gave up any of theirs, and now that includes you. So don't be afraid to ask me for my life."

"I can't help but feel guilty, Bella, surely you understa-"

I quickly covered his mouth, taking one hand off the car's wheel that I was illegally driving through the Italian countryside.

"Max, please. You are asking nothing more than what is to be expected from a sister."

Max smiled at the thought, and I saw him smirk. "You have no idea how lovely it is to be a part of a family, and to be a part of this family? It is nothing short of heaven on Earth, all that I could ask for in my existence. Finally there is a meaning, a feeling of true belonging."

"Don't mention it," I smiled back.

"How do you know where you are going?" Max questioned when we were almost there.

"I remember from the last time I was here." I stated, simply. Recognition hit his face as he must have recalled the story where Alice and I came to save a suicidal Edward.

"Oh, Bella I'm sorry, I wish you could see him again."

"There is a large part of me that wishes the same. However, I know better. I know that I would much prefer he and the rest of the family stayed away. Therefore they can go on living, and keeping Renesmee safe and sound."

A beautiful image of Edward holding a giggling Renesmee filled my mind, and almost made me lose focus. I heard the car behind me honk obnoxiously and zoom around me. When the driver of the sleek black car made it to the other lane, we both peered angrily at each other.

I felt my bubble become stronger and more powerful, each bit of anger adding to my now mental-physical field that was sure to push back even the most vicious of vampires. I smiled a crazy, sadistic smile and speed my way into Volterra.

Max and I stalked out of the car, looking like a forced to be reckoned with. I let my hair down, and Max smoothed out his clothes. We shut the doors and strutted down the darkened streets of Volterra.

Max held my hand as we found the nearest entrance to the secret underground castle. Before we could slide our way down, a member of the Voultri greeted us.

"Max, how pleasant to see you again. I see you have completed what we asked you to do." The greedy, red-eyed vampire looked me up and down appreciatingly. I saw his eyes linger at our intertwined fingers and then his mouth laugh heartily.

"Accomplished a little more, eh?" He said slapping Max on the shoulder, and winking at me.

I wanted to growl and take a snap at the man, but I knew better. We had to pull this off to the best of our ability if we were going to make it.

I knew it was only beneficial, I simply fed off anger.

I was sure our plan would work out. I just had to continue to get people to anger me and soon enough I could take down those nasty old rulers. I didn't care if a million vampires came after me when I tried. I just couldn't stand their constant threat any longer. I was going to take them down, and I don't care how absurd and unrealistic that sounds.

_They deserved to be put in their place, underground. _

I thought about how, technically they were already lived underground and fixed my battle cry.

_Damn the Voultri!_

That seemed plausible, and honestly, quite plausible.

How hard could it be? Use a combination of both the power of Max and I and delude Aro into believing I had left Edward for Max and that I had completely no attachment to my family, so much so that, I was willing to follow my convincing new mate back to his 'home'?

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**Anybody have anything they want to ask me?**  
**I'm all for suggestions and criticism!**  
**Thanks again for reading, and if you're wondering about Bella and Edward … well… ehrm… what can I say? Love comes in time? I don't know… but don't worry too much. :D**


	11. Gifts

**Hey everyone!**

I'm sorry if Bella and Edward being apart upsets you, it bothers me to write it, too! But, it's all for the story.  


**  
I got a great response from the last chapter, which helped me get this out faster then I thought I would be able to. **

**  
I think this chapter will clear away most of your worries anyway and by this chapter you will know what is going on with Bella and Edward! **

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Chapter 11: Gifts

_**Edward's Point of View:**_

It was early in the morning when I made it to my destination, a deep forest outside of Volterra. Surely, Max and Bella had to come out to hunt some time soon. Since Max was so new to this diet I knew he had to hunt more frequently. It would only be a matter of days. I made do with where I was and did my best to stay inconspicuous. I took Bella's earlier advice and hunted before I could find myself a good hiding place.

After hunting, I moved as close as I dared to Volterra. I could not risk being found out here by anyone besides my wife and Max. I did my best to strain my talent, but to no avail. I could not hear the thoughts of any of the Voultri, just a few of the humans lingering near the edges of the city. It would be a long, long few days out here. Quickly I reminded myself that, right now, this was the best place I could be, if I was planning on keeping everyone safe, and I quieted my thoughts.

I sat there wallowing in my thoughts, and thinking of what exactly made Bella follow Max here. If he had threatened her, I would rip him to pieces. If she truly had wanted it… no, Alice saw her beautiful features torn in a disarray of emotions. She was upset, that much I could be certain.

My mind only let me draw one conclusion. Max had taken my Bella to this danger. Oh, that man would pay!

_**Bella's Point of View: **_

Talking to Aro was pretty simple. Max had been very right about that. I could tell Max was beating himself up on the inside over dragging me into this, but he does not know just how honored I am that he came to me for help. Yes, he may have gotten us into this mess, but it was fine by me. For once in my life, the reason for the drama was not because of me and my mistakes. Maybe it was just the curse of the newest Cullen.

"Ah! Lovely, lovely!" Aro said when he saw Max and I, hand in hand, walk through his doors.

"Bella, Bella, how nice to see you again. Have I told you just how well suited you are to being a vampire, it is like you were always meant to be one." Aro had a thing for repeating words.

"And Max, my boy, you have found yourself a lady. How nice," and in a mock whisper tone he muttered, "if you could help out your buddy Marcus it would be greatly appreciated."

The ever silent Marcus did not even show a flicker of annoyance, just the usual calm stone face.

"You have chosen to stay with us, Bella?" He asked, coming closer.

"Yes, and I'm willing to prove it, if you doubt me."

"You have learned to let others see your mind, Bella?" Aro asked, now very interested on top of his usual over excitement.

"Only partially," I lied to the best of my ability. Max gave me a quick wink, letting me know he was putting his power to work. Max later told me Aro could only see what Max wanted him to see, the good part, the part that showed he had 'done his job'. All else was left blank to him.

"Interesting, interesting," he mused, "Well, it really is a pleasure to have you here, Bella, make yourself comfortable."

"I'll let you two get comfortable here, we can chat more later. But, I am so excited Bella, you have no idea. Your talent will be greatly appreciated here."

"Thank you, Aro." I said calmly.

I had to get out of the castle. I was only so good at lying. Maybe a small hunt would help me regain my composure. I noticed the time of day and also realized I should get Max out of here in case they started their human meal. I did not want Max to be tempted to revert to his previous ways.

Anyways, I had yet to learn how I would react around freshly spilled human blood.

We placed our belongings in a dark room with blue and white furniture and told a guard where we were going and when were expected back. This was apparently the protocol for any guard member who left the castle. We were also required to bring one of the castle cell phones with us in case we were needed at any given time, to return.

It was still dark outside, the sun only beginning to appear when Max and I made it safely within the forest outside Volterra.

Walking through the forest I came across a familiar scent, a very familiar scent. A scent that I loved, and with Max right next to me, there was no doubt in my mind that my doubt from before had all been a part of his test, love's test.

_Edward._

I think Max picked up on the familiar scent, and he gladly gave us our space. He slowed down to a stop and I smiled while I zoomed past him; only one thing on my mind.

At that moment I did not care how completely shocked I was that he had gotten here so fast, that he had followed me and had known where I would come. I forgot all of that as his scent overwhelmed me. I could smell where his scent was the strongest, where it was the most concentrated.

Across my mind it was like a big neon sign was blinking, as I ran the few miles to where he would be, that read: the love of my existence coming up to your right, 3 miles, 2 miles 1 mile...

As I neared where he would surely be, a wide grin spread across my face, I could not contain the shear excitement I felt at almost being in his arms once more. I wanted to be safely in his arms. I wanted my husband.

I saw him before he saw me, and the sight of him made my grin expand to a point where all of my teeth were exposed and the euphoria must have been rolling off me in waves, _if only Jasper were here. _

He turned around just before our bodies collided and from the force of my run we both fell to the forest floor with a muted stone hard _thud_.

"Edward!" I cried into his shoulder. I just wanted to hold him forever and ever and ever. At times like this I wished I was human so that the tears could roll down my face and explain my exploding emotions, like lava from a volcano exposing what's on the inside and releasing the pent up heat.

I pulled my face away and looked at his face, smiling down at him like a drugged teenager.

"Bella?" He questioned, disbelieving.

"Yes?"

"Is it you!?"

"Yes, love. It's me, your Bella." I hugged his middle towards me and he, in turn, slowly reached his arms around me, locking me in place.

"_My Bella_?" He pulled my face upwards to meet his penetrating eyes, wondering if it was true, if I was really all his again.

"Yes you silly vampire. It's Bella your wife and I love you and what are you doing here?"

"What was that?"

"What are you doing here, in Italy, as you usually don't come to Europe to hunt?"

"No, before that."

"I love you, Edward." I took a deep, unnecessary breath and continued.

"Even when I don't seem like I do, I do. Please, do not forget that. I am sorry for doubting it. Yes, you annoyed me the teeniest bit, but it was blown out of proportion, I would not willingly run from you, love, not in my wildest nightmares, I love you too damn much. If you started to call me Izzy , talked about Mike Newton every day, wanted to chase after squirrels in your spare time and smelled like Jacob, I would not leave you. I couldn't and I wouldn't, Edward. It wasn't my choice. Really, it's a long story, see, Max's gift presented a threat to our love…" I did not want to waste time talking about this, so I quickly opened my mind to him and let him see Max's sincerity, our current dilemma, and what was going on with the Voultri.

"I love you too, Bella, and don't worry, I have faith in this plan, even if it involves you lying to the Voultri about our love." He grinned, flipping us over so that he hovered above me. I pulled his body back down to mine and kissed him firmly, smiling through the kiss.

His lips felt so good, and the kiss was about to become a little too intimate before I heard a little cough come from the corner of the clearing.

Edward growled a little, not leaving his place above me, or removing his lips from mine, "Max, could you leave us alone for a moment?" He grumbled.

"It's kind of important…" Max mumbled quietly, but I heard him retreat back through the trees.

"Oh, and sweetheart, please know I fully intend on giving up the over possessive, protective, clingy fool of a man charade I have been putting up ever since you stumbled into my life. I realize you are strong and capable now and don't need me as much, I see that Bella, love, I do."

I knew that Edward was looking through the images running through my mind, dancing with Alice and Rose, the pure excitement I felt…

"But I do need you Edward, _so much_." Oh, he had no idea…

I quickly took back my now blocked thoughts. Maybe he did have an idea, silly Bella, look at his face. He was a mess.

"I'm still giving you the space, respect and freedom that you deserve." He gave me a meaningful look and continued.

"I should have done that from the start. I know you are powerful woman and you don't need a man to help you with every step you take. I am truly very sorry, excuse my 1918 manners, I seem to forget about what century we are in when I'm with you. Everything else has no meaning, space, and time are nothing without you, Bella."

"As they are nothing without you." I reasoned.

He still did not look okay, like there was something besides the Voultri and Max that was bothering him, deep inside.

"Edward, love, are _you_ okay?" There must have been something off, something about his features. He looked tormented, tortured, like Jane had just put the full force of her gift on him for a nice, long time.

I focused really hard on opening my mind, letting my love shine through to him, making sure he could know just how concerned I was for him, and just how much I loved him.

I wished he could let _me_ read_ his_ mind.

_**Edward's Point of View:**_

She crashed into me like a ton of bricks. Bricks never felt this good. I fell over, not because her weight was too much, but because I could not focus, for the life of me, for the amount of time, which would be about a millisecond, that it would take to sweep her up in my arms.

I was absolutely ecstatic. Bella! _My Bella_, was running to me, not away. And while the scent of Max was all around her, he was nowhere to be seen.

It was as if heaven had come to meet me itself. I was thrown backwards by the sheer beauty of it.

I was afraid to put my arms around her, afraid to make any sudden movements.

What if she just went and faded away like a hologram or a mirage that my mind conjured up to torture me more than it already was.

I listened to her as her arms sneaked around me and tightened to the point where, if I were an ordinary rock, I would be squeezed into the shape of her embrace.

I slowly regained my composure and responded to her, disbelief surely clouding my face and eyes.

"_Yes you silly vampire. It's Bella your wife and I love you and what are you doing here?" _

I wanted to hold her to me for so long that our rock bodies molded into one, unyielding, uncompromising force.

_And she loved me?_

I wanted to scream from the way she made my heart feel alive again. She was so dangerous; she could kill me with just a day of her absence. She could convince me to do absolutely anything; she was the world's biggest danger. If she begged me to commit murder, I would do it for her, even if I was killed in the process.

There was probably only one thing she would not be able to convince me to do: hurt her.

I thought her presence would wipe away my earlier discontent. Ha, _discontent_ is not the word. It's more like disheveled grizzly bear being woken too early from hibernation. I was positively insane just a few minutes ago.

Now, all was right. Bella was in my arms and she _loved_ me. I sighed in content.

There were plenty of things I really should worry about, but how could someone worry when their angel was in their arms? What would be the point? Nothing bad could happen to Bella when she was in my arms, I wouldn't hear of it. If nothing was happening to Bella, I was fine.

…The Voultri and Max and our family I could think about later, there was so much going on in my Bella's mind. I was surprised to see the actual anger she felt towards me and how irrational it was and how she was beating herself up for hating me for no reason.

I saw how much she enjoyed the dancing, and being independent from me, being her own person. I got the lovely benefit of seeing Bella see herself in that mirror at the dress store. She looked absolutely stunning and it was such a comfort to see that she agreed.

Her mind ran through the conversation with Max, how everything clicked and how the Voultri needed to think that they were together so that they could stay there and somehow work to get Max out.

I held her closer; I was not ready to let go and face the harsh reality surrounding our bubble of effervescence and love.

How did she know that I was so crazy earlier?

How could she see that on my face? I should think it would be gone, don't tell me she's reading my mind now, too.

_Edward?_

I jumped up, scared. I scurried to the other side of the clearing and heard her gasp.

_Bella?_ I took steps closer to her, as she stood up slowly to face me.

_Am I in your mind, love?_

_Indeed you are sweetheart, how in the world… _My mind ran through a hundred possibilities, but her angel's voice rang out clearly on top of my crazy thoughts.

_I was focusing on how much I needed to open my mind to you, and how much I love you and…_

"Bella, Edward, I can explain."

**********  
Questions? Comments? Suggestions?**

**This chapter is for three of my anonymous reviewers: **twisessed, cArRymEuNdEr, and ViCtOrIoUs.  
**Hope you three were satisfied with this reunion! **

**  
YAY. I was itching to bring them back together from the moment they were apart, but I think it was worth the wait. ;) **

**  
Anyway, next chapter: face the Voultri. Be scared. Hehehee.  
I was also wondering if you guys could tell me which one I was writing better, Edward's POV or Bella's. I feel like one of them is lacking, but I am not sure which. Tell me what you think!  
Thank you readers and reviewers! **


	12. United

**I'm so sorry for the wait guys.**

**Don't worry-- I will have much more time now and you can expect chapters more often.**

**This is a little short, but I wanted you guys to know I'm here and I'm working on the chapters as you read this. More will be out shortly. Don't fret!**

Chapter 12: United

_**Bella's Point of View: **_

"Max, tell us what's going on."

_Bella, Bella, Bella, can you hear me? _

I nodded in the direction of Edward, a small smile creeping up my lips. I then pulled my attention towards Max, who was clearly about to say something, when I heard something else, a confusing buzz in the background.

_Could this really be all my gift's doing? I suppose no one has ever beaten the test before, and since Bella was the only one affected by it, she is probably the one who got the winner's prize. _

_**I wish I could steal Bella away from here right now, I would give her anything she wanted. Oh, why is Max here, why did he ever come and complicate our existence. **_

_Because, what's a good test without a reward for doing well, and what better a gift than instant communication with the light of her life? _

_**Well, that changes things, this could be quite useful. **_

My mind spun around for a second, trying to place the thoughts with the correct mind. Once it was clear, I commented aloud.

"Interesting theory, Max." I said, and Edward turned to look at me, wide-eyed.

"You heard that too, Bella?"

"I think..." I stared directly at Max, but nothing came to mind, I looked back at Edward, and I heard him again.

"I don't think I'm hearing Max's thoughts directly, I think I'm only hearing your mind, but since you can read anyone's mind, I can hear Max, through you."

_My Bella is more perfect that I ever imagined. And she just gets more and more perfect as time goes on... _

Sudden images flooded his mind, and for the first time I saw how he actually saw me, I saw me through his eyes. I saw the beginning of our relationship, when I was still fragile and human. He was so scared that with each step I took I could be tripping to my death. His complete devotion was ludicrous. All of the images of me flooding his mind were insane and absolutely unrealistic, he made it seem that I always had this glow, a beautiful halo, through his eyes I really did look like an angel, perfect, irreplaceable and able to save him from the darkest of times. When he was able to finally see the depth of my returned feelings, at our sweet wedding, and our magical honeymoon, he was the happiest man on Earth.

"Bella," he muttered slowly, rubbing the back of his hand over my cheek and chin.

"Yes?" I said, loosing my wits as he smirked crookedly at me.

"Do you know what this means?" he tilted his head to the side and his innocent grin turned malicious.

"What?" I said, concerned now.

"We can save Max, and our family."

My grin grew evilly, and Max came over as we discussed how we were to pull this off. Now that we could hide our true intentions from Aro through Max, and Edward and I could communicate flawlessly, everything was much easier.

All we needed is to convince Aro that he wants nothing to do with Max and me anymore. If he could somehow let that illusion into his mind, it would all be almost too easy.

But life is never that easy, and even with the help of Jasper it would be hard to convince Aro and the others that they want nothing to do with a supposed "shield and love breaker" couple, we were very powerful, even if they didn't know the extent of our abilities.

So, we would have to try another tactic, and Max had the perfect idea, the only problem with this idea was that we would have a huge responsibility on our hands after this.

We would destroy the Voultri, and therefore take on the responsibility of watching over the entire vampire race.

Well, there goes me ever getting that college education.

_**Edward's Point of View: **_

I understood what Max was saying, I really did, and it shocked me just how easily the three of us could do this, with of course, a hint or two from Alice.

All we had to do was break the old but very weak ties within the Voultri, disperse and distract the guard, and then attack. Their weak old bodies would be useless against us, without their guard.

It was not that I did not want to see my precious Bella growl as she tore off the head of an old wimpy vampire. _Well, yeah that would definitely errr ... bother me a little. _The image of her slowly walking to her prey turned in an inappropriate direction as she was suddenly headed for _me_ instead of Aro, with the same evil grin infecting her whole face.

I noticed a smirk on Bella's face as she gave me a quick, flirty glance and then just as quickly, and with an ease even I couldn't master, tore her eyes from mine and turned her attention back to her and Max's detailed plans.

The real thing that I was not too ecstatic about was watching over vampires all over the world, and keeping them in check... if we could convince others to do the dirty work and keep new borns in check, and maybe we could just control them from the outside, I'm sure we could bring back a few guard members for this, Jane and Alec, would be among the first: they were sticklers for justice, it didn't matter who was enforcing it, as long as they could help put an end to what they thought was "wrong".

Bella frowned as she heard this train of thought, and I wished now I could see what she was thinking.

There was one part of this "prize" that I particularly did not like. She could read my mind whenever she wanted, but me? I could only read hers when she saw fit. Damn.

I would have to learn some way of keeping her out sometimes.

She opened her mind to mine, while appearing to be paying Max the utmost attention.

_Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, are you serious? Why would you be scared of me always being in your mind?_

_Bella, love. Really, can't you see how maybe I've always wanted unlimited access to your mind, and I've never gotten it, but you- you never even wanted it and look- now you have what I want. _

_I'll try to keep my mind as open as I can, okay? _

_Thank you, now pay attention to Max. _

_Don't start with me, you are the one complaining and absolutely, completely distracted. I saw some of the images in your head a minute ago, dear. _

With mention of this earlier train of thought, my mind was completely in the gutter. To keep herself grounded, Bella took her mind from mine and didn't look me in the eyes. I knew she was seeing all the things running through my head.

"Alright, so Edward, call Alice." Max said, pointedly.

If I wasn't a mind reader there was no way I would know what he wanted me to say to her. Apparently, we were going to ask Alice if Max's plans would work out as flawlessly as he imagined, then we would proceed, tweaking anything if Alice said there was a possibility of it going wrong.

Alice, being Alice, answered on the first ring, squealing. I held the phone from my ear, realizing the excited squeal was probably for my wife.

Bella took my phone from me and sighed, "Alice? Please, calm down, this is important."

"Oh, Bella, give it a rest, Max is right you will all be fine the Voultri will be putty in the hands of the three of you, blah blah blah, now. What is it that my brother is wearing? It appears to be rags. If you could, you know there's this wonderful designer a little ways outside the city..."

"Alice!"

"OH, _whatever_ Bella, you daughter wants to talk to you so badly, she misses her Mommy and Daddy, you two should stop leaving her with Jacob she's going to start thinking he's her Daddy, and you know how wrong that would be for later..."

I shuddered at what Alice was saying to my wife and heard the phone, on the other end, being passed to Renesmee.

"MOMMA!"

"Baby, how are you? Is Jakey being nice, is your aunt still making you change three times a day?"

"Mommy, come home soon. Jakey is okay, but without someone to stop her Aunt Alice is making me change more than that! And all the pictures and videos and playing dress up! I can't take it! Mommy, come home soon!"

I scooted closer to Bella, put my arm around her waist and leaned into the cell phone, "Don't worry sweetheart, we will be home very soon."

"DADDY!" She squealed, and the squeal reminded me eerily of Alice, and I noted that maybe we had been gone for too long, and leaving her with Alice for long periods of time was never particularly a good thing.

"Yes, darling?" I smiled.

"I miss mommy a lot, and I miss you too!" If i heard her correctly, she missed Bella more than me, that was hardly fair.

Bella noticed my thoughts and a small smug smirk appeared on her angel face.

"We miss you too, love," Bella joined in.

"And is Maxy okay?"

"I'm just fine, Nessie," he called, from across the clearing. But, with the somewhat super-hearing of our half vampire daughter, I knew she would be able to hear him.

"Yay," she giggled, "so you coming home now?"

"In a little while, don't worry, we won't be gone long now."

"Okay Mommy," I wasn't sure how much Jacob had revealed to her about what we were doing, and what was going on with Max, and I didn't even think she knew that we weren't on the same continent.

"Can I talk to Daddy again?" She asked Bella, sweetly. Bella handed me the phone and my daughter started throwing a million warnings at me, the last one was the one that stuck; it reminded me just how much Jacob was willing to tell her.

"Don't let the Voultri hurt Mommy! Protect her, okay?" She warned me. It surprised me how Renesmee had picked up so much from me, and did so many things like me, for one, look after Bella as if she was a glass doll. Nessie's first image of her mother stuck with her and she always remembered just how weak and fragile Bella had been when she had first given birth. Somewhere, subconsciously, she still thought Bella was that weak human, and for a long time, so did I.

Sometimes I really, really hated the fact that Jacob had imprinted on my daughter when she was an infant, he didn't deny her anything, including terrifying information as to her parents' whereabouts.

"With my life, Nessie." I assured her."We love you Nessie, be safe," I said, and Bella continued to say her goodbyes to our daughter as Max started to get up.

When Bella finished and closed the cell phone, she placed it in my ratted pocket and turned to Max.

"Well there's no time like the present." Max noted, and eyed me curiously.

"Maybe Alice was right," he laughed, "It would be better if we didn't have to explain your attire to the Voultri."

I groaned as we tweaked our plans a little.

Bella and I would go find the both of us a change of clothes, as Bella didn't want to further ruin her 'pretty blue dress' I had convinced her that it was a tad too enticing for her own good and, as for me, I pretty much looked as if I was in the jungle for days, and turned into a crazy man. Which, basically I _had_, before Bella came to save me from my misery.

After that, we would take down a few animals, too make it look like Bella and Max were hunting for some of this time, and then head down to complete the most simple, yet extremely mind boggling overthrow of government that anyone had ever heard of in the history of humans and vampires.

And it would all be made possible by the three of us.

Oh, and who could forget our pixie of a sister and her useful little visions?

**Hey, thanks for reading. Again, I apologize for the time you had to wait, I hope I didn't lose any of you!**

**Questions? Comments? Reviews?**

** Let me know!**


	13. Distractions

_**Hey, everyone! I really like this chapter, and I hope you guys do to!**_

_**I want to thank a few people for reviewing and keeping me on task: BCullenE, twisessed, ftwmomof3, KYF777, and BbyGurlNanii . **_

_**Thank you to everyone else, as well, who keep adding me to their favorites and alerts. It means a lot. **_

_**And here we are... **_

Chapter 13: Distracting

_**Bella's Point of View: **_

Edward and I were careful to avoid the eyes of any humans and vampires that may be on duty secretly keeping Voltera safe. We were following Alice's advice in going to find something more decent to wear, seeing as we would like to avoid any odd and unneeded questions that would come with Edward's attire, and any... "unwanted" attention coming my way from the dress, which truly was magical.

Whenever Edward eyes moved towards me, I knew he noticed its magic as well. If his face wasn't a giveaway, his thoughts left nothing to the imagination.

I held onto his hand, being sure not to break contact. I knew neither of us were ready to be apart yet. Seeing the way Edward had become when I was simply out of his life for a day- I knew I could not let him ever feel like that again. It not only broke his heart, but it tore at mine, the guilt nearly crushing me when I saw in his mind just how crazy he had become without me. I knew I would be the same way without him, and maybe even worse than the last time he had left me. This time I was a vampire, and a vampire's feelings are much stronger.

I knew that I had no reason to blame myself, it was Max's test that had made me pull away. However, something inside me told me that the reasons for actually pulling away _were_ a little true. Sure I would never willingly run from Edward, but those reasons... him being overprotecting, controlling, and suppressing in terms of my independence... they did hold some ground.

They sort of made sense.

"Isa_bella_," Edward groaned as we neared the small little place that was clearly the designer Alice had told us about.

"What?" I asked, innocently.

"You promised you would let me in your mind. You look so torn, _please_, tell me what you are thinking."

"Oh, Eddie," he growled at the nickname, "you worry too much."

"And you, my dear, spend entirely too much time with Emmett!"

"He's funny," I countered.

"And a horrible influence, just look- he told you the most embarrassing story about that horrible nickname-"

"What story?"

"Where did you get that name from?"

"Isn't that a common one for someone named Edward?"

"I suppose..." I could tell he was hiding the story from me in his mind. I would figure it out soon enough.

Once right outside the little shop, I made Edward stay behind in the trees so that whoever was in the store didn't have the pleasure of seeing Edward in ripped clothing that barely concealed what it was supposed to.

He kissed me deeply, and I was about to lose what little self control I had managed before he pulled my arms off, with some effort, and ushered me in the direction of the shop.

"Hello," greeted an old, deep male voice in his deep Italian accent sitting in an arm chair in the back corner. He smiled widely when he saw me, and came up to meet me.

"Bella," He murmured, eyeing my dress appreciatively.

"Yes?" I said, before realizing the man should not know my name.

Then it clicked, he was speaking in Italian. I quickly decided it would be easier to understand the man in Italian, seeing as his English was clearly limited.

My perfect, fluent Italian must have shocked him, but it came easy for me, what with having no time restraints on my education and learning it from a centuries old vampire who lived in Italy for a few decades.

"Oh, grazie, signor."

He was still staring at the dress on me, in wonder and amazement. I thought carefully back to when I had bought the dress.

_"Any color preferences?" the lady asked me as she smiled back at me, picking up on my happier disposition._

_My grin was bordering on crazy, "Dark blue."_

_The lady spun around and told me, realizing I was above buying something that, God forbid, was on display, or out for just anyone to see, "We just got something in from Italy yesterday, I'll be right back. It's perfect." _

I knew it was more the dress he was looking at then me so it must have been his, "Did you make this dress?"

"Yes, I had an order for one like this from a little store somewhere in America, I see it was sold to someone who's own beauty surpasses that of the dress." If I was human I would have blushed. "It suits you so well, its only natural it would befall upon someone as beautiful as you."

I thanked him again, and then he wondered, "Did someone send you, or are you here looking for the person who made the dress. I'm sorry, however, I can't make another you see, I only do one of a kind pieces..."

"Oh, no, no signor, I wasn't looking for another."

"Well, then who sent you here?"

"Sent me?"

"Most of my clients I have known for quite some time. I no longer allow new clients, I have neither the time nor desire. My old clients send in others to pick up their clothes and make their orders. May I know who has sent you, _signorina _?" His Italian accent was deep and somewhat difficult to understand.

I thought quickly. I guess it would be weird for such a young girl to know of such an old man and his little store.

I looked down, hoping to some higher power out there that I was right about this, otherwise it would be quite embarrassing.

"Alice Cullen," I said, now more confident as I saw the old man smile at her name. She _would _have something ordered for both Edward and I. Fashion emergencies in Italy? Alice was sure to have had a vision of this months ago, waiting to find out how it would actually come to be, but too concerned about the future fashion problem to really pay attention to anything else.

Alice will be Alice.

"Ah! My dear old friend, she will always hold a place in my heart, she is so kind and happy, I love hearing from her in letters. I hope she is well after all these years."

From the look in the man's eyes I could tell he had fallen for Alice's perky charms many decades ago. The sparkle in his eyes probably meant that they were good friends, and that he probably had more than 'friends' on his mind when he knew her.

"Why, I haven't seen her in many, many years. I really do wonder how she is. She always sends someone new, I wish she would come one time, the next one more beautiful than the last! I wonder if she is how I remember her, always so happy..." The man laughed a low, hearty laugh.

As much as this man wanted it, I knew that he could never see Alice again. She would be exactly as how he remembered her, and that would be no good at all.

The man rubbed his short, white beard and mused, probably thinking of her.

"Give me one moment, _signorina_, I will be right back with her things. I was wondering when someone would be coming for them for quite some time, she placed this order some time ago," He still looked lost in thought as he wandered to the back of the store, and then out of sight and into a backroom.

_I wonder what Alice had ordered for us._

Right then, I felt something like a tapping noise, when I realized Edward was outside, and probably just outside hearing range, seeing as the trees were about a mile away from the store. I opened my mind to him.

_Calm down Edward, I'm a grown vampire, I can take care of getting us a few clothes..._

There was silence on the other end, and I panicked running quickly out of the store, and into a wall that could only be Edward.

"Edward!"

"Bella, what is it?"

"I-I couldn't hear you, it was awful, where did you go?"

"I was waiting right here the whole time, I heard everything. You better go back inside, he's already found half the things he's made."

"But, Edward, I couldn't hear your mind!"

"I don't know, sweetheart, it's probably just a distance thing, go back inside, love."

I crept back inside, and sighed in relief as the man was just now coming out of the back of the store.

I focused carefully on Edward who was still outside, and was satisfied that I could still hear him, this time.

"Here you are, signorina," he said, holding out the clothes for me. "Alice has already paid, so there is no need," he noted as I reached for my purse.

I said goodbye to the old man and on my way out he said, "Be sure to tell Alice hello, and that I do miss her so very much. Tell her to write back or visit when she has the chance!"

I used Edward's mind to see inside the old man's: _Oh, if there was one person I want to see before I die it would be that Alice Cullen. How she would brighten my everyday, and make me laugh at the smallest things, Oh, I'm still in love with her. I never will forget her. I wonder if that handsome Jasper fellow has passed away yet..._

I stopped listening, and Edward and I ran to the cover of the trees where we changed into the clothing Alice had ordered for us.

_I could see there was more clothing than necessary for just the two of us. I figured Alice had ordered things for herself, as well. _

From what I could tell, the dark blue, turtleneck cashmere sweater dress was probably for me. The rest, probably hers.

Edward changed quickly into the suit, leaving off the jacket.

The suit fit him flawlessly and the dark black against his skin made him even more stunning I couldn't help but be dazzled.

I noticed his hair was still a mess so, before we could head back to Max, I sauntered over to him and attempted to smooth out the wild bronze hair that I loved so much.

As I did this, he played with one of my curls, and then neatly tucked it behind my ear, and grinned.

"What is it this time, Edward?"

"You can't read my mind right now, can you?"

"No, I can't... why is that..."

"I believe you have to stay focused on wanting to know what I'm thinking, otherwise you lose it," he smiled.

I concentrated carefully, and saw the plan forming in his mind: _Well, all I have to do to keep her out is distract her, it shouldn't be too hard... she.. then..._

My concentration was immediately disrupted as he pushed his lips to mine and kissed me fiercely.

"Edward. Cullen. Stop, Right, Now... this.. is... not... fa-" I said between his forceful kisses that made me swoon and created a million butterflies in my stomach, anticipating what came after this kind of kiss...

I heard a whisper coming from somewhere, about a mile away, "Bella, Edward, come quickly, there are some deer here!"

Edward pulled away, smirking, and I ran in front of him to where Max was waiting to pounce on a few unsuspecting dear.

Crouched behind a low bush, simultaneously the three of us sprang up and snapped the necks off of two deer each.

After a few more deer we were ready to head back. We walked silently, and quietly through the now empty, dark streets of Voltera, and suddenly I couldn't help but laughing as I concentrated carefully on Edward's mind, and got inside. He was doing his best to hide it from me but it slipped when I kissed him slowly on the neck.

He was distracted for just a second, but that's all I needed, as I whispered, "Two can play at that game." He growled playfully, and the scene I had so desperately wanted to see (the history of the nickname Eddie) replayed itself in Edward's head, and Max looked over at us and gave us a reprimanding look. A look that an old man would give two giggly infatuated and stupidly in love teenagers.

The time period was unclear, but it was obvious it happened in the last 60 or so years, seeing as the whole Cullen clan was in the living room, minus the newest additions: Renesmee, Jacob, Max and I.

_Emmett was lounging on a couch, his arm draped lazily around Rosalie who was looking through some sort of fashion catalog alongside an amused looking Alice. Her amusement seemed slightly out of place. Jasper was sitting next to Alice, clearly feeding off of her excitement. Carlisle and Esme were talking about going on a vacation soon. Edward, since this was through his eyes, seemed to be perched on a piano bench, and was growling at Alice. _

_"Alice, if you don't tell me what's about to happen I'm going to go upstairs and rip apart your new dresses until the only thing left is-" _

_"Edward, please don't touch her things... she will just force me to go get her new ones..." Jasper whined. _

_"I wouldn't if she would just-" he was cut off by a shrill noise coming from the wall. An old fashioned looking telephone was ringing in the corner. He turned to Alice, waiting for her to tell them who it was. _

_"It's for Edward," she giggled. _

_He walked at a human's pace to the phone and warily answered, "Hello, this is the Cullen residence. May I ask, who is speaking?" _

_"Hi, this is Rebecca. Rebecca Myers from your English class. I wanted to know if I could come over, I have something I need to say to you." _

_"To me, Edward?" _

_"Yes, can I come over?" _

_"Uh, I am out of town..." _

_"Then why are you at home answering the phone?" _

_"I mean... I will be out of town." _

_"Oh, then I will come over now." _

_"Uh..."_

_"Okay. Bye, see you soon." _

_A few minutes passed where Edward growled more at Alice, begging her to let him know what Rebecca wanted to say, while Jasper tried to calm him down so he wouldn't do anything to Alice or her clothing. _

_Emmett sat up clearly amused, and slapped Edward loudly on the back. _

_"Oh, Edward, isn't it obvious? Becky Myers has a huge crush on you!" _

_"She has a __**what**__?" Edward snarled. _

_"Don't you see her staring at you every time Ms. McDonald asks you to read aloud? Don't you see her peering over at you over the top of her dark romance novels? And if it wasn't all that obvious to you, then I am sure you heard her saying, Mrs. Edward Cullen, Mrs. Edward Cullen, over and over in her head." _

It's true that after hearing this, I felt a little stab of jealousy at this Becky Myers, she had laid eyes on Edward, before I was born, and had been infatuated with him probably the same way I was. What if Edward had fallen for her all those years ago, _where would I be_? But I quickly pushed those thoughts aside and continued to peck at Edward's neck so that I could keep reading his memory.

_"No, no this can't be..." _

_"Have you never looked in her mind?" _

_"There are some, more disturbing minds of humans, that I prefer to block out. Hers is one of the first I tried to ignore. All she can think about was me and her together in inappropriate ways..." _

_At this, most of the family snickered, the only exceptions were Carlisle and Esme who were still deep in their conversation. _

_"Edward, you have to be a little turned on by that, I mean, a girl spending all her time fantasizing about you-" Rosalie spoke up, putting down the catalog. _

_"No, it is disgusting and-" Edward started to argue. _

_"I beg to differ, I think I feel something else, there, Edward!" Jasper commented. This caused Emmett to jump up, and Carlisle and Esme to stop talking as well. _

_"Are you saying he has some normal male feelings for a real girl...?" Emmett questioned, while Edward angrily turned around on his piano bench. He angrily pounded on the left hand side of the keyboard, letting out a low, discordant noise. _

_"Emmett, please, leave your brother alone..." Esme said, motherly as always. She stood up and came quickly to put her hand on a sulking Edward's shoulder. _

_"It's perfectly normal to have feelings for a girl, Ed-" _

_"Mom. I. Do. NOT. Have Feelings. For that vile-" _

_"Our own little Edward... all grown up. Who would have thought his first crush would be a plain little human? I'm writing this day down in history books!" _

At this I felt another little stab at my ego, was I not just a plain little human, as well, a few years ago?

_At hearing this from Emmett, Edward began to storm towards a spiraling staircase near the front door, "Emmett if you don't shut up-" he was cut off by a dainty knock on the front door. _

_Edward cursed under his breath. The entire family disappeared into the kitchen, laughing loudly the whole time. They were out of sight, but it was obvious that everyone was listening. _

_Edward waited a second, took a deep unnecessary breath and opened the door, "Hello, Rebecca, you see I am really busy so-" _

_She was, as Emmett had said, a plain little human. She had short, wavy blond hair that came just above her shoulders. She had freckles and dark glasses that made her look sort of scary. Her penetrating green eyes only added to the effect. She had an acoustic guitar strapped to her front. _

_"I wrote something for you, to tell you how I feel. Please, let me play it for you? Then I will go, if you are so busy." _

_Edward stepped outside and shut the door behind him as he heard Emmett's muffled guffaws coming from the kitchen. They were probably still too soft for Becky to hear, but that wouldn't last for long, knowing Emmett as Edward did. _

_Edward consented, and gave her a shaky half smile, "Okay." _

_Her answering smile was so shocking, and she pulled her guitar into place. She hummed a little, and started. _

_The beginning was slow, and simple, as she played only a few chords over and over. Slowly, the music got louder, as did her humming. The beat suddenly kicked into overdrive and she began her angry rock song. _

_"Do you even LOOK at me? I'm trying to show you! I love you! I love you, Edward. My little Eddie. Oh, Eddie how I want you. Eddie..." she sighed, and began to repeat Eddie every few strums. It seemed the lyrics were just her thoughts as they came to her. Mostly, she was moaning Eddie over and over. The last line is probably what caused Emmett's loudest burst of (clearly, unheard by Becky) laughter. _

_"Oh, Eddie, Eddie I wish you were in my beddie." The song came to an abrupt end. _

_This girl clearly had no future musical career. _

The look Edward gave her would have been enough to make the ordinary human run and hide. I even cringed.

_"I'm sorry Becky, I don't... feel the same way." _

_Tears began to form in Rebecca's eyes, as she slowly ran out of sight. _

_Edward's memory ended as Emmett burst from the front door, landing on a still, statue-like Edward. _

_"Eddie!" Emmett shrieked. _

Honestly, I felt bad for this Becky character. Although she was probably old enough to be my grandmother now, I still felt bad for her. Sure she was desperate, strange, and a little pushy. But she had wanted my Edward the way I had. How could I make fun of someone so completely infatuated with Edward as I had been? She was similar to me in that way. I could not bring myself to find the humor.

She probably forgot about him eventually, though I could not have but... she wasn't giving up easily at his obvious coldness towards her. I knew how it felt, when Edward had first rejected me.

_What made this girl all that different from me? _

Edward looked at me curiously, "What, you aren't going to point and laugh at me now?"

I shook my head slowly. I knew he would not let this go so easily, but I was not sure how to tell him. He was about to ask me what I was thinking, when I put a finger over his mouth and motioned towards the entrance of the underground of Voltera.

In my head, I said, "Later."

I quickly shut my head to him, knowing I did not want him to find out about that while we were about to defeat the Voultri.

**Questions? Comments? **

**Thanks for reading everyone, tell me what you thought!**

**To twisessed: I did my best to work on Bella's POV. Hope you liked it! **

**PS: Next chapter I will probably have an editor, chutzpah117, who will help me with my silly mistakes. So look forward to better chapters with her help. :) **


	14. Rebellion

**Hey, readers! I hope you're enjoying my story so far. And I'm so happy you've decided to keep reading this far. :D I don't think this story will be too much longer... **

Chapter 14: Rebellion

**_Bella's Point of View:_**

As soon as we slid into the underground castle, I dropped Edward's hand, and picked up Max's. It would make believing us all that much more difficult if I was with Edward again. Max smiled at me, and we took the lead, as Edward followed behind us. We were greeted again by what seemed to be an old friend of Max's. But now that I could see in his mind with the help of Edward, I learned that neither of the two men had a great deal of affection for the other. The man was only friends with Max to keep close to Aro, and Max new this and despised him for it.

This new way of seeing people was different from my life before, hearing everyone around me, knowing their thoughts, and desires of the moment. It was all strange to me.

Aro was shocked to see the three of us, but happy at the prospect that Max had gotten yet another prized jewel for his ever growing collection of talented vampires.

"Edward! What brings you here? Did you run into Bella and Max on their hunt? Oh, this just gets better and better!" Caius laughed monotonously while Marcus remained the silent brooding man he was.

Having the ability to see into Edward's mind had made being with the Voultri so much more interesting. Marcus was, as to be expected, thinking of his deceased mate. It appears he had successfully blocked out his memories of her for quite some time, until today when I came walking in.

I, painfully, reminded him of his mate. It almost killed him to be in the same room as me, he wanted to run far away. He had had enough of Aro's constant happiness anyway. I guess breaking up the Voultri would be easier than I thought.

Edward hesitated slightly in his answer, which caused Aro to come over and, when he was about to take Edward's hand, a quick flash of Max's grin told me had blocked out Edward's reunion with me. In its place he added a convincing argument that persuaded Edward to join him and me in the Voultri.

I could still see Edward's mind, but Max had successfully blocked out our reunion. Even I could not see them in Edward's mind.

All that was left was in his mind was utter pain and anguish at my disappearance.

"Lovely! Lovely!" Aro chanted. His thoughts were slightly different, _I cannot believe my luck, it seems almost too good to be true. Receiving two highly talented vampires. Oh, happy day! The last time I saw Edward's mind there was no way he would leave his daughter behind! And I thought the bond between Edward and Bella was nearly unbreakable! Max's talents amaze me, I should have used them earlier. _

Aro stepped away from Edward, and smiled sickingly at me. "I'm sure all of you could use some time to get settled into your rooms. I suppose you all will begin your lessons as members of the Voultri Guard in a few hours, or more if you wish."

For me, the hours would seem more like hours. But I knew hours were like seconds to Aro, so I knew he was anxious to see us be trained if he suggested we only be a few seconds.

Edward was directed down a different hallway. I couldn't even look in his direction as a hooded vampire guided him. I knew if I saw his face, and our eyes met, our love would be all to visible.

All three of us had to be very careful. I had to make sure that I didn't look at Edward the wrong way and spark doubt, as did Edward. My other job was keeping my shield up to the best of my ability, and practicing that mental/physical shield I had worked on with Emmett. Max had to keep the devious plots out of our minds whenever Aro was around in case there was any physical contact.

It was all about keeping up our reputation. One little piece of doubt, one tiny slip up on any of our parts, would cause this mission to fail. We didn't have to keep up pretenses too long. Max would begin the dismantling of the different relationships as soon as we were left alone. Edward would sift through the minds, telling me, from his room, hopefully not too far away, all of the different relationships within the Voultri, what kind they were, and which would be the most difficult to tare apart. I would relate this to Max, who would use his gift.

Having Edward here actually eased Aro. He knew that our bond was strong, and that it must be hard for us to be far apart because subconsciously, to us, he knew our bond had not disappeared. He could see this through Marcus' ability. He knew we were still attached to each other, although I was now "with Max". He thought that in our minds, we thought that we no longer loved each other, but that every other fiber of our beings ached to be with each other. I knew Marcus saw a bond between Max and I too, because we too had a love. But it was a different type of love.

How all of this worked out seemed surreal to me, almost like it was too good to be true. Everything was falling into place like pieces of a 1000 piece puzzle at the very end when it was clear what piece went where. Maybe this was meant to be, our overthrow of an ancient government. And, it wasn't going to be a complete overthrow, nobody but our family would know that the three of us were the puppeteers of the Voultri. I had felt this same way, like all of the pieces were finally coming together, when I was first changed into a vampire and I held Renesmee in my arms.

So my fate wasn't just to be a vampire and live forever with Edward. Apparently there was something else, equally unfathomable in store for me, for us.

**_Alice's Point of View: _**

Well, this is new.

_Edward, Bella and Max were strutting around the underground castle in Voltera. They seemed to be in charge, giving orders. It seemed they were leaving someone else in charge. They weren't going to stay their for long. They were returning. _

Edward and Bella looked perfect! I knew that my old friend wouldn't let me down. That blue cashmere dress, tailored to the exact measurements I had sent him, was literally perfection on her pale body. And, Edward looked exactly like he always did in that black suit. I wonder how hard it was for Bella not to rip it off him...

The vision I had for the fashion emergency in Italy came months ago. I was always a step ahead for those (partly because I always made an effort to look for them, lest my family ever be seen in something remotely less than fashionable). I had not questioned the need for it earlier, and I didn't tell Edward or Bella. I was afraid to look to far into the possibilities for a lack of clothing on their part. Edward was always talking about taking a second honeymoon... so I had assumed they had somehow lost their clothes. I didn't want to look for nor ask for... the details.

Now I knew it was for a very different reason. They were actually going to do it. They were going to overthrow the Voultri. And who would have thought all it would take was three vampires and a little confidence boost from the best little sister in the world?

Well, I suppose I should rephrase that. They weren't just three vampires; they were three very, very talented vampires. With abilities that the Voultri coveted deeply, abilities that, if they new the full extent of, would do everything in their power to destroy. And, don't forget: they had the help of a very wise, self-confidence boosting little sister.

I chuckled at my own self-praise and got a questioning raised eyebrow from Jasper and Emmett sitting across from me. But they continued their discussion about wanting to go over and help Edward Bella and Max kill off the old bloodsuckers.

The werewolves really had to stop influencing our vocabulary.

"Look, you two. The three of them can handle this simply, with very little violence. They are simply going to put in a puppet government, under their control. If there are too many of us there, it would get too suspicious too fast. We cannot have anyone suspect the overthrow before the actual overthrow. They are on pins and needles over there trying to keep up their appearances, and keep the delicate balance they have established. If we go and mess everything up, we risk the lives of everyone we love." As I said this, I heard Renesmee wake up, and saw Rosalie dash out of Emmett's arms.

I tuned out the grumbling of my husband and brother, and headed up the stairs behind Rosalie, slowly listening to Nessie as she woke up to Rosalie, again.

"Aunt Rosie, are my Mommy and Daddy home yet!" She said as she noisily began to scrub her teeth in tiny circles. She was _so much _like Edward sometimes. Always meticulous, doing everything perfectly. I remembered when Edward had first taught her to brush her teeth. It was after her first hunt, or her first hunt without Bella or Edward handing an already torn open animal to her.

Renesmee had jumped onto her prey. The whole family winced at the possibility of her being harmed, but the little girl managed to tackle the animal. Bella had to put a restraining arm on Jacob so he didn't go to help her.

When she finished drinking, she turned back around to face her big family, all watching her with amazement. Her smile was infectiously large. She had seen others hunt before and wanted so badly to be able to do the same. However, her outfit and face, and hair was a mess of blood and other unmentionables from the animal she had wrestled. Bella gave her a bath immediately afterwards, and as she splashed around in the bubbles, her Dad came in and gave her a little lesson on brushing your teeth properly to get out the smell of blood and to clean your mouth.

Removing the remnants of a hunt from your mouth was a high priority when you spent a lot of time around werewolves and humans.

I hoped the two of them would come home soon. Their brief absence and the stress of their uncertain safety had made the family wary, especially for Renesmee. She missed her parents the most.

"Sorry, Nessie, maybe tomorrrow." Rosalie said as Renesmee finally finished her obsessive Edward-esque, five minute brushing routine.

"Time to dress you up!" I called, scooping her up from the floor and into her walk-in closet.

Nessie sighed in my arms, "Aunt Alice..."

"Oh, Nessie, don't you want to look nice? What would your Mommy and Daddy say if they came home and found you looking like a ragamuffin?" I felt bad making her feel guilty, but sometimes it was so difficult to get her to listen to me about clothing. This was another trait she had picked up from her parents. This one from her mother: aversion to all things fashion.

Although, recently, Bella had shown a little more enthusiasm in her clothing, with the dress... Maybe there was hope for her daughter, then, too.

"Just one outfit today, then, I want to wear the pink dress with polka dots!"

There was hope indeed.

**I hope it wasn't weird having Alice's POV in there... I just thought maybe there should be something besides Edward and Bella's point of view over and over again. Also, I am not a huge fan of action, so a whole chapter devoted to that seemed a bit... overwhelming to me. If you want more action, though, don't be afraid to tell me. Tell me if you liked it or disliked it and I will see if I will throw in a few other characters' points of view every now in then. But, for the most part, I think this story is and will be told in Edward and Bella's point of view.**

** Tell me what you thought! **

**Any suggestions for other point of views you're interested in? **

**Questions? Comments? **

**Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	15. Homecoming

**Well, I know it has been a while but I would like to thank the following people. After remembering your reviews and patience I was reminded to finish: twissessed, KyF777, chutzpah117, BCullenE, ftwmomof3, and georgiana cullen.**

**Thank you!**

**Here's a summary for all of you who have been with me since I started and have probably forgotten about the beginning of this story. It might also clear up some questions and fill in some holes I may have left in my writing (as to what was happening to Max before Bella met up with him) , it explains a lot, but, it's long, so read only if you need/want to:**

_Max, who we now know was working for the Volturi, was asked to destroy the Cullen family from the inside. He was unsuccessful in disrupting any of the couples except for one. As he spent time with the Cullen family he grew to love and appreciate them and their lifestyle. He decided he would stay with them, and thought the Volturi would let him without question once he told them there was nothing that posed a risk in the family, that they were truly good vampires. After a short time with the Cullens he noticed one of the couples, Bella and Edward, the very couple that Aro had suggested tied the family not only to each other but to their pack of werewolves, and would be most essential to break apart, was indeed falling apart. He wondered if perhaps his power of testing relationships had actually worked on them and discovered it had because of Bella's youth and the lack of time that glued the other couples together so firmly. _

_Max thought the only way to end what he had started would be to get out of there, to leave the Cullens alone, despite being so loved and accepted in their house, he knew it was better to go and leave things to return to how they had been without his unintentional interference. Once gone, he discovered he was wrong and that his absence was not only making things worse, but outside of the protection of the Cullen home, the Volturi had come to make him return to Volterra. When one of his friends came to escort him back to Italy, he told him that he did not want to return and he had chosen to live on his own. _

_Unbeknown to Max, the Volturi didn't not take this news well. Quickly, the Volturi reacted and began to plan to destroy him. He was given a tip that there were others after him and he soon knew he couldn't return empty handed. Not to mention, the Volturi knew where he had been, so it was certain if he did not return with some sort of peace offering, the Volturi would kill him and his new family, without warning and without hesitation. The decision would be so quick, it might even slip past Alice until time was out for them to build up some sort of defense. _

_After an uncharacteristically angry Bella stormed out of the night club where her husband had found her, Bella had run into Max. His prayers had been answered. He knew Bella would do anything for her family, and that her family would do anything for her. If Max could just bring Bella there for a little while... and then maybe they would let her go after a little, if she obeyed._

_Max then explained to Bella everything, like why she was suddenly so anti-Edward, why she had started to move away from him more and more and that Edward's reaction was only natural... wouldn't she go crazy-jealous-protective if Edward started to pull away from her? He also explained how his test was working only on her because of her youth. She obviously agreed to help her brother. _

_While the Volturi allowed them to settle in, and hunt (vegetarian) Bella and Max came across a wildly disheveled Edward in the forests around Volterra, and because of Max's enlightening and Bella's and Edward's deep love for one another, they were able to break the test and pass with flying colors. And what's a good test without a reward? Bella then acquired Edward's gift, when she concentrated solely on him. However, she was only able to read his mind. But that wasn't much of a hold back, considering he could read everyone's mind at any given moment. Edward knew that the Volturi would never let Bella go once they had her where they wanted her, so together Max Bella and Edward came up with the fool proof way to get out of the Volturi's grasp once and for all._

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Chapter 15: Homecoming

**Rosalie's Point of View: **

"Aunt Rose, are my Mom and Dad ever coming back?" Renesmee asked aloud, for the first time. Even though she had been thinking about it since day 1 of their 5 day absence. Her thoughts were not easily kept secret, since she preferred showing us her mind to talking.

It was the morning, and I was dressing Renesmee, per her request. She was tired of Alice's outfits and Alice's fuss over her hair. The little girl was tired and annoyed because even though everyone in the family cringed at the thought of cutting off Nessie's beautiful red-gold ringlets, the weight of her hair was simply getting to be too much (no one had allowed her to receive a hair cut yet). Most of her family are vampires, who never allow their never-growing hair to go near a hair salon, so clearly her first hair cut would not be easy.

She liked it when I was in charge of her hair, letting her tie it up and put it in a bun so as to keep it out of her face. Even though Alice's intentions for busying Renesmee with dresses and hair, keeping Nessie from worrying over her parents, had been good they had ultimately failed.

As Nessie looked up at me, waiting for my answer, Alice burst loudly through the door.

"They're returning home! They'll be here tonight! They might still be in some danger, or they're hiding something, because Bella still has her shield up, but she opened her shield for a moment on purpose so we would know. I saw a flash of your Mom, Dad and Max buying tickets home!" Alice said her last sentence only to Renesmee who jumped from the floor, only half dressed and still wet from her bath, into Alice's waiting arms. Her excitement was infectious.

"Truly, Alice? And they're all safe? How can this be? What were they doing there anyway? If they really were bailing Max out of trouble, why couldn't they let us know so we could help... and most importantly, how did they manage?"

I knew I sounded like Emmett at the moment, question after question without giving a moment for Alice's reply. Alice only shrugged in response.

"But, if it was only small trouble, they wouldn't be hiding things from us. And they would have come home first before running off. If it was a big problem... how in the world did they possibly stump the entire Volturi and their guard... it's not possible."

Renesmee had thrown on a dress she had worn a few days ago, and already hurried out of her bathroom. Alice didn't even flinch when Renesmee walked back in to the room with her "used" dress on and told us to hurry downstairs to tell the others.

**Edward's Point of View: **

Bella leaned into my shoulder as the plane took off. I put my arm around her and rubbed little circles into her shoulder.

"Bella, we can't change everything about them... yet. We can only do our best. We don't want anyone to become suspicious of anything quite yet." I whispered reassuringly into her ear.

Max, sitting on Bella's other side, also in a hushed whisper, said "And besides, just think of all the humans you all have saved just be converting me!"

The last of all the tasks that we had had to complete before leaving Volterra, was seeing that someone was bringing in their meals, and it was hard to convince Bella that it had to be this way, that it would lead to much more suspicion if someone were paying a visit to Volterra only to see everyone munching on deer and bears.

A small smile appeared on Bella's lips. "I suppose. Do you think the vampires will ever accept what we have done... who we have become? This is a huge responsibility and I've only just begun to understand all that the Volturi did."

We were quiet for a while as the stewardesses walked by, asking if anyone needed anything, wanted anything to drink or wanted a blanket, pillow or pair of headphones. When most of the plane was quiet, and drifting to sleep, Max pretended to sleep, and I looked down at Bella. She was staring absentmindedly at the in-flight romantic comedy that was playing on the screen in front of her.

She, too, looked up at me. I whispered, "Bella, you do know what this means, right?"

"What?" She said, looking confused as I tapped her head gently, as if she had forgotten for a moment about our new found gift of conversing.

"You're the Queen of Vampires," I thought, when she finally opened up.

"You're ridiculous," she thought.

"I'm being perfectly serious. When you... wounded Aro with your force field and the guard froze unsure if this was real, and then they whispered. I don't think you were focused on me enough to read my mind and therefore theirs but they weren't just gossiping, or standing in shock. They were all saying the same thing. They were all frozen, in awe. In awe of you, Bella. In that hushed whisper they were all saying, 'La Nuova Regina', which means, the new queen. The Volturi have their very own myths, myths about 'La Nuova Regina', just like the Quilette tribe.

It is known that they had a psychic with them, back when they first began. She did not give much advice. She only spoke of things that would be of danger to them. She warned them that the Volturi, although strong, could not last forever, that one day they would turn corrupt, and a new leader would come, a woman, who would bring more honesty, peace, and forgiveness into the vampire world. She would be more worthy, and her, alongside her family, would be the true royalty of the vampire world. 'La Nuova Era Pacifico' they called the story.

Many of the vampires were waiting for that day to come. It won't be too long before we can tell the world what we have done. Don't worry, love. Eventually, our passion and reverence for human life will not be looked down upon, but rather looked up to, as an example, a model of excellence, self control and peace. Our ways cannot be ignored for long."

"What does, 'Capo Della Polizia' mean? When they bowed to us, upon our departure, the whole guard, they all said that,"

"Head of the guard, or policemen. You know, you really should freshen up on your Italian, Ms Head of Police and Leader of the Vampires"

"The police... like Charlie" she thought.

"Father like Daughter. I suppose it is in your nature, then, to protect others, love."

**Bella's Point of View: **

As Edward finished his sentence in his mind, 'it is in your nature then' is when my mind buzzed with understanding. I couldn't control my thoughts, and my head slipped away from Edward's; I couldn't concentrate on him. No one was getting through to me. I finally understood the jumble of things that I had been through, and why I did things the way I had; so clearly different from every one else. My life made sense.

Fate.

What was my fate, my destiny, my ultimate reason for being? Two days ago, if someone has asked me the same question, I would have answered without a doubt: Edward. But no.

It was so, so much more than that.

I was born from an unlikely couple, a couple not meant for each other. But they had been meant for one thing: me.

I was to be born, and then eventually, after a few years of a normal life, to come to Forks at the perfect time. A time when I was the same age as Edward, where I would find my soul mate, my reason. In that time I would live with my father who was a policeman, who would instill protection and a desire to see the law maintained within me. And in good time, when I had learned all I could from him, I would become like Edward. I was meant to. Everything about the beginning of my vampiric existence screamed destiny. I had more self control then anyone had ever witnessed. And being tested by Max and having his special help and developing a special power between my husband and I, had all been to help me to my place as 'La Regina' .

It was meant to be... and I was, well, Queen.

"Bella!" Edward called loudly.

"Is she all right? Is she breathing?" A concerned female voice said her footsteps coming closer every second.

I opened my eyes, and looked around. A stewardess, and Edward were standing over me. And Max was to the side, our one small bag in his hand and a worried expression tainting his face.

Edward looked close to tearless sobs, and the stewardess was looking at me strangely. I took a deep, unnecessary breath and the stewardess smiled in relief.

"Bella, are you okay, love?"

"Oh, I'm fine I just-" I stopped myself because the stewardess was still there, hovering, "fell asleep. You know how I get when I'm really tired." I said, smiling and standing up. I noticed we were the last ones on the plane.

"Maybe I should get you a wheelchair, Miss, just in case," I was about to protest, when I saw Edward's desperate expression.

"It's okay, I'll just carry her." He picked me up from the seat effortlessly, and there was no way I was being put down, considering the worry etched deeply into his face.

He must have watched me daydream for at least an hour, in the meantime I probably wasn't breathing or moving at all. That must have been weird for people to see, and horrible for Edward to witness. He probably could have woken me up, but that would have drawn even more attention to us.

As he carried me through the plane, bridal style, behind Max. He looked down at me, concern reaching every part of his face. I noticed a lingering look of grief in his eyes as well.

"I was in deep thought, I'm sorry, Edward. It came at me really unexpectedly."

"Isabella, don't you ever zone out like that again, do you understand me?"

"I'm a vampire of course I wasn't dead or anything, don't overreact." I saw a flicker of remembrance as he recalled his promise to not overreact, or overprotect me anymore. He threw that thought away, at least for the moment.

"Well, you've done some pretty crazy things in your time, things I never thought possible. I wouldn't put it past you if you somehow went into a vampire coma."

"I'm sorry-"

"I would have gotten up, and forced Max into driving the plane back to Volterra, just so I could find a vampire to finish me off if you weren't muttering to yourself while you were daydreaming. You kept muttering things like: fate, and my destiny, over and over, what was that about? Anyway, at least I could know you weren't completely gone."

"I guess my sleep talking finally came to good use."

"I've always had the greatest admiration for your sleep talking. This is only a confirmation of that."

Edward continued to carry me, even when we found our family waiting impatiently for us in the airport.

I chose to stay out of Edward's mind as the onslaught of questions came to us. I pulled out, but not before I heard the screams of: WHAT'S GOING ON? DID YOU SERIOUSLY DEFEAT THE VOLTURI? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH BELLA? DID SHE LOSE THE ABILITY TO WALK IN EXCHANGE FOR YOUR LIFE, LIKE IN THE LITTLE MERMAID... oh wait, wasn't that her voice for legs, same thing, right? (the last, more odd questions were asked by Emmett, naturally).

The first real voice I heard was my daughter's. She screamed in delight and in a high soprano, "MOM! DAD!"

A few heads turned, but otherwise it went unnoticed. She gracefully jumped onto Edward and we both hugged her tightly as Edward held me.

We were crushed into different embraces, all of them telling us how glad they were we were safe and demanding an explanation the moment we were home. "Jacob will drive you home, and Max can come with Carlisle and I. But, please we will discuss everything when we our whole family is safely at home, where they should be." Esme said as she kissed my forehead and looked meaningfully into Edward's eyes.

The last to come up to us was Jacob.

If I were standing on my own two feet, I might have expected what came next. I certainly was not expecting Jacob to come up and embrace Nessie, (who was attached to us from the moment we had walked into her sight) Edward and I (who was still not allowed to stand) in one awkward hug.

"I'm so glad you are okay."

"Both of us?" Edward asked, jokingly, as Jacob took a step back from us.

"Yes, both of you. You have no idea how crazy Nessie got without you two, and her pain is my pain, you know?"

Renesmee, who had been the first to scream and run to us, was clinging safely to Edward's back, and staring down at me, as if she had never seen me before, with her hand she continued to ask me why Daddy was carrying me.

"He doesn't trust me to walk," I said to her, as Edward walked us out to our row of parked cars. I knew we looked strange, my daughter and I attached to Edward as he walked effortlessly to the car, but Edward didn't care. And it appeared that no one really paid that much attention to our exuberant reunion and our departure.

She flashed more pictures to me, still questioning: Does he think you're going to run away again? She showed me his reaction to the last time I had left him on his own. His stunned, expressionless behavior, his desire to come after me. At last she concluded: Mommy, he only loves you way too much. Don't be mad.

Edward and I chuckled as Jacob got in the driver's seat of Edward's Volvo.

"Renesmee made me drive it here, by the way, so don't get angry with me."

"Jacob, it's fine." Edward said, as he settled me Renesmee and himself into the backseat.

"I told you so!" Renesmee said, smiling wildly, squeezed between her two parents in the back.

Edward took my hand, across Renesmee, and we settled our hands on her lap. She put her two small hands on both of ours, and held our hands together.

As Jacob pulled out of the parking lot behind Carlisle's car, and Rose's, Renesmee smiled at our entwined hands.

"I missed you," she said, tears forming in her eyes.

"We missed you too, sweetheart, so much."

"Next time you go on an adventure, take me with you! After a while my aunts and uncles and grandparents become ... annoying!"

Jacob, Edward and I all laughed, but she was perfectly serious. "I mean it!"

"I know you do, Renesmee, don't worry, we will do our best to take you with us if we go somewhere next time."

"But, Nessie, I wasn't annoying like your aunts and uncles, right?" Jacob asked glancing at us in the rearview mirror.

She hesitated for a moment, "No... you were!" This time Jacob was silent and the entire back seat erupted in incontrollable laughter.

Edward and I kissed Renesmee's cheeks at the same moment and we stared lovingly at our daughter.

She had inherited more from her parents then I had ever thought.

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**Thank you for reading!**

**I think there will only be one or two more chapters left. Tell me if you think that's a good idea or not.**

**Sorry for the delay in getting this out!**

** Questions? Comments? Concerns?**


	16. Royalty for Eternity

**Final Chapter & Epilogue... enjoy!  
**

**Chapter 16: Royalty for Eternity**

* * *

**_Bella's Point of View:_**

Jacob didn't say anything else for the car ride. Renesmee was now asleep on my lap, and she didn't wake even when Jacob turned off the car in the garage. I made to open my door, but my slightly faster husband was there before I could put my foot out of the car.

"Seriously, Edward, I'm fine now. There's no chance of the stewardess catching me walking here."

He pretended he didn't hear it, but let me lead the way inside.

Although Jacob drove fast, it was not close to the speed that vampires forced onto their cars. So, the whole of our family was seated in the family room when we walked in.

Edward sat down with me and his sleeping daughter on the couch alongside Max.

Seven pairs of expectant eyes stared at us, waiting for us to begin. "I suppose I should begin, here," Max said.

Edward and I nodded our heads at him, and he began the story about his trouble with the Volturi, how they were after him, and when he met me running.

I picked up, then, and began to tell the story starting with our meeting with Aro, and finishing with our discussion of plans in the forest with Edward.

There were many unspoken questions as I continued, our family wondering about the details of our shared mind. I tried not to listen to them, but as long as I was paying attention to Edward our minds heard everything together. No one said anything aloud, too stunned to speak.

I heard Alice's mind go into overdrive as I briefly mentioned our meeting with Alice's favorite old designer and she looked meaningfully at the bag at Max's feet.

Edward took over as he took on the role of explaining our take over. The hushed silence as Aro fell to the ground, the anger of Jane as she desperately tried to make Edward Max and I feel pain, the attempts of Alec and others trying to make it past my force field and mental shield.

At this point I noticed Emmett grinning, and thought, not only to Edward, but to me: 'BELLA! Our little discovery about your talent came to this! I'm proud of you, sis!'I smiled at Emmett, and he seemed shocked that I had really heard what he thought.

As the hours ticked by, and we answered question after question, finally, it was Renesmee who asked the question that made us all smile.

"Does this mean I'm a princess?"

"Well, yes, in a way, sweetie, you are." I said, smiling down at her.

I looked out to the family, "And I'll have to move to Volterra for a little while, at least. Get things sorted out, announce to the Vampire world what has happened, set our new code of conduct, everything."

"I'll be right there with you, love." Edward said.

"Me too, mom!" Renesmee said happily. She was so happy to see us, and I couldn't be happier to be with her.

Everyone else told us that they would come visit frequently, and perhaps stay for some time once they got everything settled over here. Jacob said as soon as we told the blood-suckers to not attack him, he'd be right there.

"It shouldn't take too long right?" I said to Edward, hoping our life had a chance of going back to normal.

"No, not long love. Just a fraction of eternity." He said, a small smile on his lips. And in my mind, I knew more than anything that it wouldn't matter if I was living in the jungles or ruling the entire vampire world, as long as we were together.

I smiled as Edward's thoughts echoed mine, forever one.

* * *

**Epilogue: Golden **

_**Many, many years later…**_

_I had not wanted to be a formal ruler, and I didn't think this would occupy my whole life, that I would be called upon to make decisions every day. The vampires in Volterra, however, insisted upon me formally being the queen. They had welcomed me quite openly, and the first thing to do was send out correspondences to every vampire, informing them of the newest ruler, along with an attachment that listed the new set of laws and things that would change in the vampire world. Many came to visit, offer congratulations, and gawk in the beauty and grace of the then little Renesmee. _

_Those upset due to their loyalty to Aro, quickly turned around to the new set of laws. A few were severely upset about the new diet restrictions, others happy to know we would be making sure the biggest, most appetizing animals were in good supply. We didn't necessarily prohibit a human diet, we just strongly cautioned against it, and to avoid it as much as possible. Some of the animals we started to breed (especially for smell and taste) were smelling just as good as a human, anyway. _

_Every few years or so, my family and I switch out watching Volterra, we didn't want to constantly be underground, locked away. New tasks, such as setting laws and regulations for the increasing number of half-vampires fell upon me. The only other species (vampire/werewolf/human) on the rise were my own grandchildren, but they listened to their parents unwaveringly, and often opted to live and die among humans, as the Cullens once did. However, the final say in matters always came back to me. It's my word on everything. _

_Sometimes Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett would watch for a year, controlling the vampire population, keeping up the supply of animals. Then Edward and I, Renesmee and Jacob would go off maybe do some formal education, explore, and visit our vampire friends and family. Carlisle and Esme, remaining faceless, so no one would notice that the owner lived forever, started their own hospital, the best in the world. The basement, where Carlisle and Esme spent their working hours, was locked and secured away from the public and was the only hospital that took care of werewolves, half-vampires, and the like. _

_And the most special time, was for a few months every decade or so, when Max, or a wolf, or a fraction wolf/human/vampire (Renesmee and Jacob's elder children) would do us a favor, watch Volterra and the hospital, and let the oldest Cullens whisk away together to Isle Esme or this beautiful strip of island lost way out in the Pacific Ocean that Edward had bought me for our 100__th__ anniversary._

_Whatever it was, no matter where we were, we were always a family, bound by golden rods, shimmering and extraordinarily unbreakable, sometimes stretching for miles across land and ocean, but it was beautiful, and I could only see it through the golden eyes of my brother Max, and his glorious gift: the test of love. _

* * *

**Just thought I'd finally finish this up, give it a proper conclusion. **

**Hope everyone who has read, reviewed, added me as a favorite, and put my story on their alert list, have enjoyed this little story. I'll probably go back and edit this for clarity and things later, but other than that this is the final chapter. **

**If anyone really wants it, I may consider writing some more detail on the life of the Cullens in Volterra, but otherwise, this story is done. Questions, comments and concerns are always welcome. **

**Thank you all for everything!  
**


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